New in the Shop

I made some new earrings this past week... lapis, mystic & cherry quartz. They're all simple and dainty! Take a look:

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I hope your week is off to a great start! An instrumental song for Monday...

Farrago Friday 11.15.13

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The holiday season is fast approaching and I've been spending a lot of time prepping for what I hope will be a "rush" of some kind. Banana Grove Designs will be having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, by the way...more info to come. From the week:

-This sentiment...

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-I love Etsy because it hearkens back to the time when everything people wore or used was made by hand. I can only imagine that those items were treasured so much more due to the time and energy and creativity that went in to each individual piece. These 3 little holiday videos Etsy put together encapsulate that sense so well.

-Queenie Liao is an extremely creative photographer and mother! I love these photos of her baby son's naptime. She's just as creative with names. The little boy pictured is Wenngenn. Wenngenn's a heavy sleeper for sure! More here.

-New in the shop...

-Must make and drink this mocha mint frappe soon!

-When the decline of the American Girl doll brand mirrors the decline of society...article here.

- I get excited about wearing flannel shirts during the cold months...came home with this pink one from Target the other day.

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-When the groom is in charge of the wedding invitations...

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-Song

White

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Just got snow here in the Midwest!!! And there are still leaves on some of the trees. It's beautiful, though!

I'm having too much fun with pinterest and pictures of snow...winter pinterest board.

I have to share this with y'all! I worked on it for a while and it is my favorite white and gold piece. I told you that Pliny the Elder thought rock crystal was permanently frozen ice, remember? This piece is a permanently frozen icicle. A raw rock crystal on a long doubled gold chain...find it in the store here.

Farrago Friday 11.8.2013

It's getting colder all the time. Goodbye happy warmth of the earth.
Here comes the weekend! Stuff I found this week:

-This Fossil t-shirt is awesome...

-There's a little tiny procrastinator in all of us...click here to make the field guide bigger.

-Interesting article about the "busy-ness" epidemic. Is it really something to brag about?

-Someone actually did this! If you have a desire to see how you could dress like an American Girl Doll, click here.

-Recipe for Salted Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies

-This is great...:)

-Can't imagine how difficult photographing a birth would be, but this photographer did a lovely job.

-Song

Leaf Fell Down

More photography practice...I'm still trying to focus on natural lighting and when I go outside all I see are leaves everywhere so that's what I've been shooting. :)

It's interesting to compare these to the shots I took at the beginning of the season...

November...

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October's gone. Halloween's gone. November's here. And almost exactly a year ago today, Banana Grove Designs was conceived. I'm amazed to think back to each little "victory" for my shop and all of the things I figured out that seemed insurmountable. There are a slew of things I don't have the first clue about, but remembering the small things I was able to conquer leaves me with confidence that I'll soon conquer the big things, too. I have loved my little business so much and am excited to see what the Lord does with it in the next year! 

Here's a new little guy just in time for winter. Check him out in the shop here. 

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9 Questions For...Michaela Noelle Designs

1. Your blog and why you started it…

        

         I began Michaela Noelle Designs due to my dad's pushing me to start a blog and put my work up online. He told me as a freshman in college that being in a creative industry would be fun but also trying at times. With his push to get my name out there, I started a little blog that soon became my “baby” as I watched it grow and develop over the last 3 years!

2. The book that has impacted you the most in the last year...

     

     OneThousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In this book, she suggests we create a list of 1000 things we’re thankful for, and that has totally put life into perspective for me, remembering to count my blessings, no matter how big or small.

3. The person you forget to thank, and now that you've remembered, what you would say to them…

     

     This is hard! I guess I would thank my college professor who sat with me in her office as I cried my freshman year over being homesick. I wanted to walk away when it got hard to be away from home, but I didn’t. That little pep talk got me through :)

4. The movie from your childhood that you loved the most...

    Most Disney films and of course, Parent Trap! (Back before Lindsay Lohan took a turn for the worst!)

5. Others think it's geeky, but it's awesome…

     The Sims. I grew up playing this computer game, but I would only build the houses. My mom would actually have to remind me to go eat dinner when I would be playing-- I got SO into it!

6.Your blog's darkest moment was when…

     I got a nasty anonymous comment. I was sad for a day, and then realized if you put yourself out there like this, that is bound to happen!

7. The skill you would learn if there were more hours in the day...

     Cooking. Definitely!

8. The trend you can't stand…

     Highwaisted shorts and pants. Just not my thing!

9. You would like us to pray about…

        I always pray for the safety of my family and friends. In this world, you just never know. I pray for love, joy, comfort, and also to actively use the days we are given for good!

10. Care to add a 10th question?

     Your favorite guilty pleasure….

                

     Watching The Bachelor while eating my favorite flavor of ice cream. (Either cookies n cream or      chocolate and caramel. It’s a toss up!)

Michaela Noelle Designs is a beautiful tribute to design and the life of a Christian woman in the gorgeous state of California. She regularly posts about her work as an interior designer, fashion, entertaining, diys and more. I have greatly enjoyed working with her! Thanks for being here, Michaela!