A Tiny Circus, Fabulous Find

Heyyyy all! I’m starting a new category for posts called “Fabulous Finds.” It’ll be anywhere I find deals or cute stuff, that I want to share with ya’ll!

Today’s post is about Brittney Austin, and the handmade accessories she makes for her company called A Tiny Circus.

She got started in making accessories for her daughter, because she had a bald baby head and she wanted to give her some “OOMPH!” So she started making headbands with detachable and interchangeable flowers and bows. But when she realized that being a mom means having no time for her own hair, she started making adult friendly accessories as well.

For now, she makes flower clips, bows, feather headbands, cotton headbands, etc. She makes everything to be versatile enough for girls of all ages. She’s also in the beginning stages of making jewelry and custom tee shirts and onesies. Let’s just say I’m super excited!

She gets her ideas and inspiration from vintage clothing, especially from the 20’s and 40’s. She loves pearls, feathers, roses, and simple cotton prints. Her statement through her accessories is “Feminine and Classy,” which is something I find to go really well with my own personal style.

The name “A Tiny Circus” stems from what she describes as the happy chaos that life brings. I really love the name, because it’s so easy for everyone to relate to; we all have a little bit, or a lotttt, of craziness going on in our lives, so just embrace it for what it is, LIFE.

Brittney’s favorite accessory is the purple feather headband that can be found on her Etsy site, because of its boldness, and because it can give anyone’s boring hair some personality.

Ordering process takes place on her Etsy account as well, which can be found by clicking here. She’s always taking custom orders. She can also be contacted through facebook here.

Here is some of her fabulous work!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Those were just a few of my favorites, and I’m highly anticipating her new products. Photography by Jillian Bratcher.

Nail craze and mall days

Still counting down for pay day (Friday, please hurry the heck up!!), and I got my nails done yesterday. Smart, I know. But it was $17 for a fill, and my nails definitely needed it, and so did my stress level. I’m really diggin’ the whole one nail a different color trend; I was inspired by my best friend. I used a pink from OPI called “Elephantastic Pink,” and my ring finger on both hands is black. Back in the comfort zoneee. Loved the turquoise, but mannnnn, it was bright!

Elephantastic Pink by OPI

Today, I woke up super stressed. Went to school, had a test in my second class. After class, my best friend asked me to join her in taking her extremely old dog to the vet. I agreed, even though that vet’s office smells like wet dog. Gross. I met a puppy named Sugar; she was a German Shepard. She was THE coolest dog. I decided I’m going to own one. But that’s beside the point.

After leaving the vet, the smart thing to do would have been to go to the gym. Right?… Not my thought process. However, for once, it wasn’t MY idea to go to the mall. Jenn had mentioned she wanted to go to the mall, and I felt I’ve done a very good job lately exercising self control. AKA I haven’t stepped foot inside Forever21, or any store in the mall really, because I know I can’t do the damage I want to. It’s all about that forward progress. So I told her I’d join her. She even promised to buy me a new shirt. What a great best friend I have.

The mall had been screaming my name for months, and I was finally going to show her some attention.

Our first stop was Steve Madden. Ohhhh boy. I wasn’t intending to buy anything, but I saw some cute things for fall, and I always enjoy looking at a good pair of shoes!

WANT:

$139.95 @ Steve Madden

With the black jeweled bow? Uhm… YES PLEASE. So cute.

$129.95 @ Steve Madden

Okay, so Jenn and I both LOVED these; super cute for fall. Skinny jeans. And they’re black… They’d match with EVERYTHING. Must have.

Next stop, we browsed through Arden B. Normally, this isn’t my “go to” store, because it’s a little on the pricey side, and a lot of their stuff is dressier. I’m normally a pretty casual person; don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to dress up. But for the most part, I’m rockin’ shorts and a tank top. I did find a few items for my wish list, though. Obviously.

$98.00 @ Arden B

$98.00…?!?! See what I mean? I loveeee the dress. But why am IIIII gonna buy a dress for a hundred buckkssss when I have nowhere to wear it. Love the color though. WAH. (I’m thinking I might be going through a gold phase…. normally I’m a silver person. hm.)

I also loveddd Arden B’s accessories. They had really cool hair stuff, like feather clips. We all know I loooove those feathers!

$19.00 @ Arden B

$19.00 @ Arden B

After Arden B, we made our way to my number one storeeeee, FOREVER21! I missed Forever so badly. I wanted to cry with joy and kissed the glittered floor when I walked in the double doors and saw the massive store in front of me. Okay, I’m taking it a little far here…. but you get the point. I was insanely happy. For some reason, though, I wasn’t focused at first. I thought I lost my groove. I couldn’t find anything in there, and after circling the store, I got frustrated. So, I stepped outside for a cigarette. (I know, I know… I said I was quitting. And I’m doing a horrible job. I even caved and bought a pack today…. nooooo). After my little break, I thought maybe it was just that I wasn’t meant to buy anything. But when I stepped back inside, I got my swag back. I started picking things up, found a dress I’ve been eyeing, and took four things to try on.

I liked this dress, but online it looks more pink, and in person it was more orange. Plus, I wasn’t sure where I’d wear it, so I decided it wasn’t a smart investment. (I think that shows some progress too! Woo hoo!!)

$19.80 @ Forever21

I especially liked it because it’s bright, and I love bright colors with my dark hair. ALSO, the slits in the side showed off my tattoo perfectly. So cute. But it can wait.

I did end up buying (or Jenn ended up buying…) a cream sweatshirt that says “Be You” on the front, and a basic, black, form fitting, long sleeved dress to wear under it (neither of which I could find online, to show you). But I like the idea of wearing the two pieces together and rockin’ my converse, or separately for different occasions. The black dress would be especially good for mixing things up, ’cause you can dress it up, or down with the right accessories. That’s smart buying.

I decided at this point it was time to quit while I was ahead, and leave the mall. But the shopping didn’t end here.

Later tonight, I was at my friend Jeremy’s apartment. His roommate (and my friend) Pete wanted to run to Target to get a few random things. And even though I’d already been shopping for the day, I wanted to go with. HAA.

So, we got there, and Jenn and I immediately went off separately from the boys and did our own thing. We were headed to the clothing section when BAM!! we were hit in the face with another nail polish display. I’m tellin’ ya, they get me EVERY time.

I ended up finding a gold (it’s the new color) that I really liked, and picked it up with every intention of buying it. But then, I looked up to see the Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips by Sally Hansen. I’ve seen these before on people, SUCH a good idea. They’re strips of nail polish that you cut to fit your own nail, and they’re supposed to last much longer than polish. And I haven’t been able to find them anywhere. All of a sudden, here they were!

I wanted two. I really enjoyed the almost metallic looking “Raise A Glass” and “Misbehaved.” They were almost the same base color, and I wanted to do the whole, one nail different, but I didn’t want to pay like 10 bucks for each?! Are you kidding, that’s ridiculous…. So I settled on the “Misbehaved,” and opted to paint the rest of my nails black, (or maybe just one, I hadn’t decided…) and made my way to the checkout line.

$9.99 @ Ulta

$9.99 @ Ulta

But then, we ran into the accessories aisle. I found sunglasses I want. But at this point, I was getting tired, and hesitating buying the nail stuff, since I JUST got my nails done. So I set down the adorable orange glasses, and the nail stuff, and sulked out of Target. I will be back for you Sally Hansen. I must try this stick on nail polish.

So today was definitely an adventure. But I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in terms of self control. I normally would be freaking out and buying everything, but I managed to leave content with two items, that are very versatile. I’m super stoked to wear this new outfit. Hopefully it’s cool enough one of these nights for a sweatshirt….. !

Feathers everywhere!

I’ve been obsessed with feathers for a very long time. I’ve always loved what they symbolize. There’s a lot of different meanings, however, my favorites are “flight,” and “new beginnings.”

Right now, in my life, it’s a period of transition. The word flight means a lot to me, just because I feel like now is when I’m taking off. I’m starting fresh; just moved into a new house, started school again, and started a new job. I also started this blog, so it’s a big time for me. The term “flight” really hits home. But enough about me!!

Feathers were really in this summer, and I have a feeling they’re not going out of style soon. Feathers have been printed all over clothing articles, appeared in hair styles, and were incorporated into accessories. Let’s just say I’m obsessed!!

Here’s a few feather inspired articles that I love!:

$8.50 @ Wetseal

I don’t shop at Wetseal very often, but sometimes I’ll find something that I must have. The way I shop issss if I like something, I buy it (which is part of my problem). But at Wetseal, they usually have stuff on the cheaper side. Always a plus.

$98.00 @ Nordstrom

This shirt is adorable, but I’m not sure I could bring myself to spend that much on a top. Maybe one day!

$12.99 @ Modcloth

Modcloth is one of my absolute favorite places to shop. They have a bunch of vintage inspired clothing. I love their dresses, and shoes. They also have the cutest stuff for apartments.

$14.99 @ Modcloth

Another Modcloth find… I love the double ring thing. I have a ton!!

$14.00 @ Buckle

Loveee this necklace. Black, of course, but it would be super cute with a gray, loose fitting top.

$134.99 @ Modcloth

This dress is to dieee for. Again from Modcloth. A little on the pricey side, but Modcloth carries higher quality clothing, so purchases from there can be investment pieces. A lot of their stuff is more on the mature side as well, so it’d be perfect for work.

$26.00 @ Nordstrom

Hair clips. With feathers. I’m obsessed.

This belt would be adorable to make any outfit a little more interesting. I love peacock feathers, and there’s a lot you could do with this belt!

I’m not saying farewell to the feather trend any time soon.