What I’m Lovin’ in June

It’s true. I completely missed the last Friday in June (why does June feel like the shortest month of the year?!). So, you are receiving what I’m lovin’ in June on the last day of June instead!

Read on to see the short list of what I’ve been lovin’ this month!

1. Supporting Handmade Shops

When you make a purchase from a local artisan, you are doing more than purchasing the item. You are inspiring them to follow their passion. I always air on the side of buying whatever I’m lusting after when I’m at craft fairs because I know what it feels like to have someone walk past your booth, mumble “I could make this” to a friend or mindlessly pass by your booth like your creations aren’t worthy of their time to browse. I also know what it’s like when a customer is as excited about your creations as you are and makes the purchase that keeps your dreams afloat.

If you’re looking for an excuse to treat yourself, browse the artisans I discovered at Made South and send them a little inspiration with your spare dollars 😉

2. This hilarious blog post…

…oh if only to live in the 70’s!

3. The Kindred Company’s Lavender Face Wash

I discovered these folks at Made South and I’m totally hooked on the face wash! This is the best face wash I have ever used. It’s light and fluffy with the perfect balance of creamy that leaves your skin feeling perfectly refreshed – clean but not dried out.

4. Our annual Etsy Craft Party

Every year the team I co-founded, Cola Indie Makers, hosts an Etsy Craft Party. It’s such a fun event! {Wondering what it’s like? Check out this recap of last year’s event}

This year we had two upcycle-themed crafts. The first was a bucket made from paper grocery bags and duct tape. {tutorial info}

The second craft of the night was an upcycled gift bag made from a map. {tutorial info}

I am so grateful to my friend MaryAnn of Life is a Maker Faire who helped me plan this year’s event!

The event is a lot of fun and something I take a lot of pride in planning. We incorporate a night of crafting with the community (the event is open to all!) and showcasing local handmade vendors which is another of my passions as you know 😉

You can browse all of the event photos here and be sure to follow Cola Indie Makers on Facebook and Instagram to hear about our upcoming events!

5. Quilting

A few weeks ago I got the itch to start a quilt. There’s so much I want to learn so I dusted off a “how to build a sample block quilt” book I picked up at a quilt shop my mother-in-law recommended when I was visiting in Atlanta a while ago.

Being that my fabric stash has once again grown beyond my drawers, shelves and bins, I’m making this quilt using material I already have (aka: “scraps”).

I also registered for Quilt Con! February will be my first Quilt Con and I am so excited to see what it’s all about and soak up some quilt’spiration!

6. Farm Fresh Produce

I have the brownest of brown thumbs. I can’t even keep my succulents alive. Thus, I am so grateful to green-thumbers who share their wealth with me!

Last year a friend-of-a-friend started offering her farm’s produce as a Crop Share program. I jumped on it! First, I love supporting local people doing what they love {see #1…} – and – second, everything I attempt to grow dies + I love fresh produce so this was perfect for me.

I meet the farmer once a week and pick up my basket. It’s so fun because I never know exactly what will be in there which forces me to be more creative with menu planning than I would’ve been.

This is my second year as a Limited Edition Farms crop share member and I can’t speak their praises loud enough. They are an all organic farm with very reasonable prices and wonderful selection. If you’re local to the Midlands SC area, check out the services they offer here.

7. Sun tea

Speaking of fresh produce, I got my hands on some super sweet peaches recently and decided to make a jar of sun tea. I had forgotten how delicious sun tea is!

To make my tea, I threw a small handful of fresh blueberries (likely about 1/4 cup) in a glass jar with 2 peaches cut in large slices with 3 cups of warm water and 3 black tea bags. I set it in the sun for around 6 hours.

After the six hours, I poured it over a sieve and discarded all solids. The sliced peaches added enough sweetness for my taste so I did not add any sugar, but I won’t judge you if you do 😉

8. My new leather hole punch

Just before the Etsy Craft Party, I received the leather hole punch I’d ordered. I couldn’t wait to use it! I tested it on a few pieces of scrap leather I had gotten from my friend Amber.

Less than an hour before the party I whipped up this chevron necklace with a printed floral leather to raffle off at the party.

I plan to make several more since they were so easy to make! Stay tuned – I might even post a tutorial 😉

9. These fabulous tips for being productive via Afford Anything

10. My new name!

After four years of marriage, I finally changed my last name.

I thought I’d be a Lucy Stoner forever, but I got the urge recently and ran with it. Being that I am called by my middle name this proved to be a little more difficult than I had envisioned so I settled for hyphenating my name which means I now have an incredibly long name, but at least it isn’t too far from what it’s always been 😉

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I hope you’re all staying cool and enjoying the summer sunshine! – Jordan

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{Catch up on all of my monthly What I’m Lovin’ posts here.}