Daily Drawing: 181 | Making of a Daily Drawing

Well...it's more like a super quick video with all my coloring popping in.  Maybe I'll do a more in-depth post on how I use Photoshop to draw.

Today was so fun.  After a late morning, Andy and I drove out to Wimberley to visit family.  We had such a fun time visiting, went out to dinner and took a walk by Cypress Creek (which turned into a pretty awesome photo op!).  It was a beautiful night and I'm just so thankful we're able to see them so often!  Such a great way to close out the month.

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 180 | I love Japan

Thanks to my husband showing me something awesome on Laughing Squid, I came across the most wonderful thing on the internet in the history of everything ever.

MitchiriNeko

We've been playing all afternoon and I've watched the video and giggled so hard I started crying!  They're cats on parade!!! There's a little kitten face that pops out of a tuba!  (I'm holding a couple of them in today's drawing) I can't handle that kind of thing.  I'm pretty sure if we ever went to Japan, I would just collapse immediately upon landing.  That, or just run around like a mad woman pointing and crying at everything I saw.  Probably a little bit of both.

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 179 | TGIF

This week has been brutal, but we got a lot done!  And tomorrow we're going to check out Round Top, a huge antiques fair in Round Top, TX.  I'm soooo excited!

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 178| Counting Sheep

Unpacking is taking a lot out of me :P

Daily Drawing: 177 | Adventures in Unpacking

OMG we have so much stuff. Made lots of progress but I need to pass out for a little while ~_~

Daily Drawing: 176 | Hooray for Stuff and Things

The movers brought our stuff from storage! There are boxes everywhere! Ahh!

Daily Drawing: 175 | New Digs

We're in our new place!  But Internet doesn't get here till Thursday.  My mom has this great story about when we moved to Belton, TX when I was 5. The utilities, phone, cable, anything needed to be installed, every company told her the earliest they could be out was Thursday. I love that I get to keep up that silly tradition :P

Daily Drawing: 174 | Sinking In

We got the keys to our new apartment today!  Andy and I have been staying in temporary housing and tomorrow is out last day here.  It's all finally starting to sink in.  I'm so excited for our new space...hardwood floors and first floor apartment for the first time in years.  I can't wait for Turks and Sprinkles to see more birds!

On another note, we went for a late-night doughnut run tonight. It was a good decision.

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 173 | Lazy Saturdays

Andy got in from the airport really late last night, and was tired from all his travels, so we spent a nice lazy day at home with the kittens.  Slept in, took naps and I'm looking forward to going to bed ^_^

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 172 | Coming Home

Andy's on a flight right now to come home after a week away!  I'm going to go pick him up from the airport as soon as I finish this post!

Hamilton Pool

My Aunt and I took an impromptu trip out to Hamilton Pool a week or so ago.  It's a bit further out from the city in Dripping Springs, and after the drive it's a bit of a hike down to the pool.  But it's so worth it.  Being a lover of geology and impressive natural phenomena, this place has been pretty high on my "OMG I Need to See That" list.  Also on that list are Jacob's Well and Enchanted Rock.  All just in Central Texas!

So on to photos of Hamilton Pool!  The path down was about a 10-15 minute hike and was just beautiful.  The hike back up can be a bit of a bear if you're way out of shape like me :P  But it's not impossible, so don't let that get in the way.

When you finally come up on the pool, it's just breathtaking.  You really see it through a part in the trees...it's just magical.

You can walk all the way around and under the outcropping.  Going behind the waterfalls is just so beautiful.

There's not always swimming allowed, but I'm glad there was the day we went so you could really get an idea of scale.  The waterfall isn't always falling, depending on the rain and health of the creek that fuels it.  So it was the perfect day to come out and shoot!

Love love love this spot!  I'd love to go back and spend more time hiking around.  There's no swimming right now, I'm guessing there will be few less people and I like the sound of that ^_^  Quick tip, go in the morning.  It get's really hot and the afternoon and it's a bit humid down by the water.  I really hope you get a chance to visit!

Daily Drawing: 171 | Hooray Spurs!

Even though we lost tonight, I'm still so proud of my Spurs! I love basketball, I've played since I was bitty and have a soft spot for my Mavs and Spurs.  The finals are always nerve-racking and I might have being yelling at the TV a lot.  But it's all out of love for the game and teams and awesome players out on the court!  So win or loose, it's how you play the game, and I think the Spurs kept it classy, like always ^_^ Plus they play for a Texas team, so they automatically win! :P

Here's to next season!

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Thrifty Thursday: Second Hand Store

This shop was one I just happened to pass during my first trip to Burnet Rd. and I added it to my second trip list.  When Aunt Debbie and I were poking around town, we stopped in to take a peek.

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Second Hand Store

yelp
address : 7305 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78757

hours : ??? - will update when I find out!

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When we stopped in, the owner was really nice and said they were a junk shop and everything as everywhere.  At first you look and think it's just a normal second hand store, but then you see all the awesome deco furniture and realize the dates on these pieces are a lot old than you're used to!  Everything was spread out and there's three separate rooms filled mostly with furniture.  If you're looking for unique pieces to add to your home, I would definitely stop by this shop.  Now! Pictures!

The front room is very full, and I recommend a couple of walk-throughs since you'll inevitably pass up some some really cool stuff.  I walked by a second time and noticed so much more! 

Left and bottom right are from this amazing deco dresser!  They were into chevrons before pinterest existed :P

Need any chairs?

Left is a wonderful deco dresser that is in need of good make-under and right is a sewing table!  No sewing machine, but the table is just gorgeous.  It needs a little love, too, but it's got such great bones.  

If you're in the market for a good DIY project or need some fun furniture, or are looking for props for a vintage shoot or wedding, I would definitely stop by Second Hand.  Their prices are more than reasonable and the owner is very helpful.  I'd love to know if you stop by and what you found!

/// If you've got any shops you love, or own, that you'd like me to feature, just shoot a
note over to becky@thepinksamurai with the name, website/facebook, address, hours a few things that make it awesome, I'd love to take a look!!!

Daily Drawing: 170 | Antique Overload

I spent a good part of the morning combing through the Austin Antique Mall today, and it was awesome. I'll be going back with my real camera, but I took a bunch with my photo that you can see on my instagram feed if you want to peep.  There's a couple of estate sales I'm going to try and pop by tomorrow...and a haunted antique shop in Georgetown that I'm really looking forward to!

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 170 | The Littlest Things

It was a quiet day around the Helms household today.  Lots of drawing, photo editing, Top Gear (UK only!) watching and kitten cuddling.  With Andy away this week, I forgot to set the alarm, so the cats and I had a slow start to the day, too.  Well...that's not totally accurate.  Turks was up early being bad and getting into all the places he shouldn't be.  So after wrangling him, I went back to bed :P

I'm lining up a full day for myself tomorrow, though!  Exploring, writing, editing, drawing.  I love being busy and being able to check things off my to-do list.  We'll see how it goes.  Right now though, I've got to chase Turks out of the laundry room >_<

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

My Favorite Estate Sale Resources

I frequent estate sales.  Now that no longer have a day job, I have more time to go exploring check out places I wouldn't normally have the time to visit.  I thought, since a few people had asked where I find out about all the sales I visit, I'd write post and share my resources!

There's a great post called Estate Sale 101 over on The Dainty Squid, and I think she did a phenomenal job of summing up what estate sales really are and what to expect when you go to one.  Definitely hop over there and see what Kaylah's got to say. I do have to almost disagree with a bit of her advice though, because as much as I love the deep discounts that a lot of people offer on Sunday's, I like to scope it out and make sure to snap up anything I know I'll really want earlier in the sale.  Then, for the things that are just fun to have, I'll wait till Sunday and late Fate decide if it's meant to be.  It really depends on if you're going for something specific, looking for something that catches your eye, or sourcing for resale ^_^ Now...onto the super secret sources!

ESTATE SALE RESOURCES!

1. EstateSales.Net - This is one that Kaylah mentions, too, and I have to say that it's my favorite.  It's consistant and you can get emails sent to you that show sales in your immediate area, or any area you'd like.  When I was up in Virginia, I had it set up to show me everything in Maryland, DC and Virginia. Even the stuff that was far away, because they also have photos that accompany the sale info, so you can see if the sale is worth a longer trip.  Brilliant.  I planned out 5 trips in one go last Friday!  There were actually a couple of people that I saw at multiple places.

2. EstateSales.Org - This site is similar to the first, though not quite as user friendly.  If you're a power-thrifter though, you'll want to add this one to the mix because it's got some different sales that .Net might not have.  It also pulls in some sales from Craigslist.  Which brings me to my next resource...

3. Craigslist - Though .Org pulls in sales from Craigslist, I always like to go to the source.  There's no link for estate sales in particular on the Craigslist home page, but you can just search "estate sale" and it will pull up lost of stuff.  Always check the dates!  You don't want to get stoked about a place and drive all the way out only to realize it was last week :P

4. Google - Yerp.  I'm sure you'd never think of this one on your own, but just googling "estate sale Austin" brought up lots of local dealers who are the ones that actually put on the sales.  Going directly to the source can help you get on their mailing lists and know everything they're up to.  The great thing about the first two sites are that they aggregate everything for you, but that also implies that each business is going to put each of their sales up on those services.  If you want to be extra thorough, go to the source.  You might even get to know them!

I hope these are helpful!  Remember to always be respectful of other's homes (sometimes you get to see some real time-capsules!).  And I never take photos at sales, also out of respect.  I always wait till I get home to share my finds with instagram :P  Do let me know if you find any treasures! I'd love to seeee!

Daily Drawing: 168 | Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Andy is on a business trip now and I always miss him so much when he's a away.  I'm so glad to have these two little troublemakers to keep me company ^_^

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

May's Daily Drawings

May!  Last month we up to New York for the Bust Spring Craftacular, packed up everything we own and took a road trip across the country from Virginia to Texas.  We brought the laptop and tablet with us so even on the road I was able to do my drawings ^_^  

It was a very full month and I'm pretty sure we both ran the gamut of emotions.  But even with everything going on, we managed to take care of it all and made it safe and sound to our new home.  June is coming along nicely and I'm getting closer to being halfway done with the year.  Which is exciting until I remember that being halfway done means that the year's half over and this year is already moving too quickly.  2013 is turning out to be one of my most eventful years ever!

By the way...May 7th is definitely my favorite of this year!

Daily Drawing: 167 | Daddy's Girl

Sending out lots of love to my Daddy today!  He's the most supportive and encouraging father anyone could ever ask for.  I'm a huge Daddy's Girl and proud to admit it!  My daddy is the hardest working man I know and he does it all for his family.  I'm so proud of him every day!

Daily Drawing: 166 | Animal Crossing Fever

I've got a fever...and the only cure...is more bells.  Animal Crossing New Leaf is out for Nintendo 3DS and I'm playing like a fiend. Dr. Mario is most favorite game, and I think I'd have to say that Animal Crossing is right behind it.  You have your own house, get to know your neighbors, earn bells to buy fun stuff to wear and decorate with, and there's tons of cute little mini-games and activities.  If only I could pay off a real mortgage as quickly as I can in the game haha!  It's a really chill, cute game ^_^

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 165 | Sunglass Fever

I love sunglasses!  Especially awesome cheap ones that are completely ridiculous shapes.  I got the hearts from Fred Flare a couple of years ago, the butterflies are from Emerald's in San Marcos (this place is like if Mod Cloth had a retail shop!) and the chunky cat-eye's are Betsy Johnson from HauteLook on a tip from a friend.  The HauteLook link is an invite to their service...they don't have any Betsey Johnson up right now, but I found them on ebay here.

So yeah.  Sunglasses are the bess knees!

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Daily Drawing: 164 | Bells, Bells, Bells

I really love the new Animal Crossing game, you guys.  If only I could make real money as well as I make bells.  There's just no fruit trees to shake down outside...and if there were...I doubt I'd get $100 for one.  Oh, well!

This is part of my 365 project where I draw my outfits every day!  Check out my first post of the year for details!

Thrifty Thursday: Out of the Past

I'm finding that Burnet Road in Austin is a treasure trove of thrift shopping in Austin.  I might just spend a whole day there just making sure I find every shop!  Today's shop is one I'd been wanting to check out for a little while and I'm so glad I got take a peek yesterday.

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Out of the Past
facebook
address : 5341 Burnet Rd., Austin, Texas 78756

hours :  Monday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm | Sunday: 12pm - 6pm

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Out of the Past is full to the brim with everything you could possible imagine.  I was overwhelmed by how dense it was and immediately knew I'd be spending a lot of time here because I want to see absolutely everything!  The prices are reasonable, the owners are nice and I promise you can find absolutely anything you're looking for here.  I'll let the pictures do most of the talking because there's no way for me to accurately describe this shop!

When you first walk in, you'll be all, "OH MY GOD!"  And that the proper response.  It'll take a minute for it to really sink in.  Then you'll want to spend the rest of your life in there looking at every little thing.

I think I might need that clock.  Also, confession, most of the pictures I took were just to record the things I wanted to go back and get :P

In the back they had a ton of old comics on this shelf (that's got two sections this size) and in short boxes on a tall shelf around the corner.  From what I could tell, they're mostly 80s and 90s.  Not in any order, but that makes the hunt that more satisfying when you find what you want ^_^  

How precious is that glass?!  Andy and I have a running joke about not needing any more glassware or dishware since we bought everything for our wedding.  And I have a major weakness for vintage glassware and dishes.  But we got rid of a lot of it for the move...so....

Lots and lots of jewelry here, too!  They got a bunch of mesh bags that were very deco, think Gatsby, and gorgeous!  I couldn't get a good shot of them, but trust me.

They have so many toys, too!  It's like they found all your old toys and put them on display ^_^

STAR WARS!  Tons of original toys in glass cases that were impossible for me to shoot.  I need a polarizer! 

I absolutely love this shop and will be going back as soon as I'm done writing this to get a present for Andy!  If you don't hear from me in a while, I'll be lost in the shelves having a vintage overload ^_^

/// If you've got any shops you love, or own, that you'd like me to feature, just shoot a note over to becky@thepinksamurai with the name, website/facebook, address, hours a few things that make it awesome, I'd love to take a look!!!