A Few Lovely Things...

I was featured in an all laser cut acrylic Technicolor Treasury today, and it inspired me to check out the new laser cut acrylic jewelry on Etsy. Here are a few lovely finds my search brought up:

Pink Nude Butterflies Necklace (and earrings) by indomina, $22.00

Silver Acrylic Bunny Connector Necklace by imyourpresent, $12.00

Victorian Cameo Necklace (black or ivory) by sarahkeyes, $28.00

Laser Cut Acrylic Antler Brooch by MishMc, $29.00

So, what are your new favorite laser cut finds?

Action Jackson out.

Pinups and Pastries

I'm currently still in the planning stages for Austin Fashion Week, however, I'm thrilled to share some exciting developments for the event I'll be hosting with JR Salon. I'll post a Facebook event very very soon, but in the meantime here's the basics:

What: Pinups and Pastries Austin Fashion Week Event
Where: JR Salon (4800 Burnet Rd.)
When: Sunday, August 15th 5-8pm
Why: There's free cupcakes and cocktails in it for you if you come. If that's not enough incentive, I promise to make some fabulous jewelry/eye candy that'll make it worth your while. For the event, the salon will primp a few models ala Bettie Page to showcase their fierce (yes, I just said fierce) hair styling and mad makeup artist skills. To round out the look, these lovelies will be donning corsets and some rockin DGAJ jewelry.

So what about that exciting news, you say?

Kuhmillion Lingerie and The Cupcake Bar will be sponsoring our event to make it an especially stellar night.
Kuhmillion is an Austin-based lingerie company that is part classy, part retro and sells their satin and lace at prices even yours truly could afford. And that's saying something. Even if Vargas pinups aren't your thing, the variety in styles is vast enough to suit any taste. Our models will be sporting some fabulous pin-up stockings from the Kuhmillion boutique so you can see in person just how great their wares are. In the meantime, check them out here.
For those of you who've been living under a rock in Austin for the past few years, The Cupcake Bar is a cupcakes only catering service that combines unconventional flavors with even more unconventional toppings (nerds, gumballs, pop rocks, pixie sticks just to name a few) that are custom-made to your specs (hence the "Bar" part of the name) to make something that is not only insanely delicious but also super fun. If you want to see what I mean, check them out here.

The salon and I are brainstorming party favor ideas in the form of raffles and goodie bags; believe me when I say I'll keep you updated on this. All the same, hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Action Jackson out.

Currently Listening: The Island by Le Tigre

Shopping with Action Jackson: 20,000 Finds Under the Sea

The Simple Sailor Locket (vintage) by FreshyFig

I have a confession to make. I don't like the beach. On top of that, I'm almost always underwhelmed when I commit to a trip to Galveston or Corpus Christi. This could be attributed to any number of things-swallowing too much salt water as a child, being fair skinned, watching Jaws one too many times, beach volleyball being exponentially more difficult (and yeah, a little less fun) than indoor volleyball, getting seasick on boats, etc., etc.

La Sirena Print by IllustratedInk

There are two exceptions to this, one being a family vacation to Hawaii. If you've never been, it more than lives up to its alluring reputation. The water is crystal clear, which is not only pretty but also practical/helpful for anyone who fears almost everything underneath the vast ocean surface (I've seen a lot of people get jellyfish stings in my day). And though it isn't directly related to beaches, seeing flowing lava in person was arguably one of the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

Squid Linens by SquidInkKollective

The other exception was a day trip to Santa Monica that was part of a spring break excursion to L.A. with some gal pals. The day consisted of getting henna, eating all the boardwalk food you probably shouldn't eat, riding the ferris wheel, and teaching ourselves how to surf (they were foam long boards, so that made it a pinch easier). Needless to say, surfing is not as easy as some people make it look, and being able to snowboard isn't as helpful as you'd like to think it would be, trust me. I'm not sure I even made it to standing up on the board. However, I had a blast and wouldn't mind going back anytime.

Vintage Dictionary Art Print Crawfish by LittleBlueBirdStudios

Point being, because I have the two very positive beach experiences under my belt, I continue to hold out hope for coastal excursions being promising. Though, when facing the sandy prospects that someone with my vacation budget has for time off from work, i.e. Galveston and Corpus, the skeptic in me usually wins and I opt out.

Seahorse Roboticus by BinaryWinter

So, in lieu of touring Texas beaches or going to The Maldives, I seek out beach and sea-themed wares. There's part of me that wants to wipe out my stigma of the beach so badly, and I'm convinced that having nautical finds and retro beach prints in my apartment will do the trick. Lucky for me, countless artists on Etsy are inspired by the sea and provide ample beach eye candy, especially in the summer. I definitely encourage you to check out the shops of the artists featured here today because the pics are only a small sampling of their awesome shops. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one of my beach snaps from Santa Monica.

Action Jackson out.

Summer = Flowers

While we didn't have the lush vibrant (albeit scalding) summer that we usually enjoy in Austin last year due to major droughts, the recurring motif of floral fashion was still in full bloom whether it was on Mexican house dresses or in the strong resurgence of 80s and 90s unapologetic bold prints. Yours truly even got hit with the fever and made a few flowery pieces (including the one above) for Blues on the Green when Etsy Austin held down a booth for the summer concert series last year.

This summer, the florals are making an even stronger comeback, as if that was possible, with everything from vintage-inspired daisy jewelry to flower print jumpers filling the racks of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and ModCloth.

I was browsing my usual list of bookmarked websites when I came across the new summer collection for Tarina Tarantino. And who says great minds don't think alike? These Daisy Post Earrings are part of their Daisy Cake Collection, and (I'm speculating) they feature replicas of porcelain vintage Japanese daisy cabochons.

Truth be told, I am not in love with everything bloomin on the runways or on the clothing racks this season. I am, however, inspired to incorporate as many bright blossoming beauties into my summer designs as possible (especially since Austin won't be having the same shortage of rain as last year). Here's some pics of what I've gotten started on so far. In the near-ish future, you can probably expect to see lots of nautical pieces and bedazzled feather fascinators from Diamonds and Guns land. What about you? What are you mesmerized and inspired by this season?

Action Jackson out.

Currently Listening: Blind by The Sundays, OK Computer by Radiohead

Shopping with Action Jackson: Goin to the Chapel

Made to order raw silk wedding dress by Kcoline.

This weekend, Alec and I went to Fort Worth for one of his high school friend's weddings. I didn't take any pictures (I know, I know. Slap my wrist), but I was inspired to bring back the "Shopping with AJ" feature with some fun Etsy wedding finds. While I don't see myself getting married before 30 (by choice, and yes, this is my magic number) and even though I don't like weddings, I frequently think about the details that would go into my own. That is, of course, assuming I don't just go the route of officiating a certificate in a judge's chambers, which is still a strong possibility. All the same, when I see unique wedding finds such as these, I feel the itch to have my own wedding.
Custom Hand Sculpted & Painted Owls Wedding Cake Topper by RedLightStudio

For anyone who's been, you know that FW takes a certain kind of person to appreciate its character. And if you don't happen to be one of those people, it's the kind of city where you have to make your own fun. Overall, it definitely wasn't a boring weekend, and we held our own as far as the funfaring expeditions went.

Peacock Place Cards by TimelessPaper

On Friday, we headed over to a hotsy totsy restaurant, The Vault, for a rehearsal dinner after party. We ducked out a little early but weren't ready to turn in immediately post party. So, we made our next stop a dive I'd heard people raving about, Lola's. For anyone interested in finding said dive, know this: there are two locations.

5 for the Bridesmaids Petite Paon Peacock Clips by BridalShoppe

I guess I didn't bother to check since I've never heard of a local chain bar. The location we went to was in The Stockyards part of town. Prior to this, I'd never been to FW's honky tonk saloon Disneyland. To say it was a trip to see would be an understatement. We braved it all the same, but now I know for next time that we'll want to head downtown. :)

Celia Champagne Ivory and Gold Bridal Headband by hemsandbustles

Saturday was the day of the wedding (and catching some much needed Z's), so we didn't have time for too much else. However, pre-wedding, we went out to dinner with Alec's parents to a spiffy little restaurant, Ellerbe's, that I really liked. The menu was a little pricey, but I dig the restaurant's concept of using local seasonal products to comprise their menu.

14K Rose Gold Beaded Ring with Diamond by kateszabone

After dinner, we zipped over to Art111, the contemporary art museum that hosted the wedding. The museum was totally rad and the reception provided tasty hors d'oeuvres and an open bar, so I was a happy camper even though I don't really care for weddings. To top off the night (post-wedding), Alec and I checked out a few viking metal bands at The Ridglea, Fort Worth's Emo's. Sunday was a wake up late and drive back to Austin day, so not much to tell there. However, I will be going back to Fort Worth at the end of the month for another wedding and am interested if anyone can recommend any fun side stops that I'm missing.

Action Jackson out.

Love is in the Air

Before you say it, I know. You can't get a more banal post title than this one, but this is my last Valentine's post for the year (I'm not one of those kitschy people who think Christmas in July is awesome). To kick off celebrating, my roommate and I turned into baking fiends and made more cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries and cherries than you can imagine (pics soon to come so you can see how little I'm exaggerating). Said sweets were then contributed towards a mini Valentine's party with close friends-fun games, delicious food, and lots of crafting (painted canvas bags, handmade valentines, and edible cookie valentines). Said party was followed by *cue awwws* dinner date and watching horror movies. On a side note, I thought my boyfriend and I were especially clever for thinking to watch horror movies on Valentine's Day (and it's fitting in a way considering the way of St. Valentine) because who would think to do that? However, this is Austin and we were so not the only couple to do that. Go figure- our city is chock-full of nerds, movie buffs, and fanboys (and girls).

For today's Etsy artist Valentine feature, I am sharing the work of one of my absolute favorite Etsy artists, Art All Night. Above is her Be Mine Valentine Sparrow Necklace, which features two Americana sparrows facing into a full glitter heart. Although it's the perfect feature piece for any Valentine's Day outfit, I can see myself wearing this rockin necklace year-round. Based out of Pittsburgh, Art All Night creates colorful classic Americana and Japanese tattoo art jewelry that could pass as the real deal. And, the cherry on top is that some of the pieces are painted with glitter, like the one above. Her work is perfect for anyone who has a deep appreciation of bright colors and tattoo art or someone who would love to have some ink but isn't ready to take the plunge. In addition to jewelry, AAN sells some of her own framed artwork that ranges from pin ups to dragons to pirate ships. For the extensive time and work that I imagine go into making these inspirational pieces, Art All Night charges an insanely fair price and makes it easy for everyone to own some great art. So, if you haven't already, go check out her shop and get inspired.

So how did y'all end up spending Valentine's? Did you find my mini (and unintentionally abridged) guide helpful? Let me know what your favorite feature was while you're at it!

Action Jackson out.

I Love Austin

Over the weekend, I went home to Houston to help my dad around the house. Overall, a pretty calm weekend, but whenever I go home, I come to the same realization: I love Austin. Rest assured, my roots are firmly planted in Houston whether I like it or not. The creature comforts of Austin just can't be matched by what suburbia Houston has to offer. To show my love for Austin, here are a few artists, happenings, and ideas to remind you why you love (or should love) Austin too!

First up, we have yet another Etsy Austinite artist, Beth Albrecht of Paired Hearts. In her shop, she has a sweet "Even My Hands Love You" valentine as well as an anti Valentine's "This is Not a Valentine" valentine, which could be perfect if you're Anti V-Day or if you find yourself in a Lisa Simpson-esque predicament where giving someone a valentine makes them think you're up and ready for dating/marriage/whatever fits the scenario. However, my favorite is the custom greeting card listing (one of the samples shown above). The owl card is adorable and has my friend, Bethany's name written all over it. So, this year, forget Hallmark and go with handmade.

In other news, Rare's February issue is out and is all about Valentine's Day! Can't find a copy at a provider near you? Check out the free issue online. My favorite features are the photography (artist of the month) and the Rare Dating Guide. I guess I fall under the hipster category (though reluctantly labeling myself as such) since I got the Kim Gordon/Thurston Moore reference. Speaking of which, anyone check out 'The Eternal' yet? Been meaning to pick it up along with a few other albums on the next trip to the record store.

Finally, the Austin happenings for Valentine's Day. Alamo Drafthouse will be dishing out their delectable annual V-Day feast. Gone with the Wind will be playing at 6pm at The Ritz. If you want in, get tickets now because they are already sold out for Amelie at The Village and Charade at South Lamar. Woo! They go fast!

Why do you love Austin? Let me know for a chance at a freebie Valentine's Day themed piece from DGAJ.

Action Jackson out.