Instagrammmm Drop!

It's that time of year! At least here in good ol Wisconsin! We decided to decorate for Fall and Halloween early in our house! My mom saved a lot of her old decorations from when she was my age. It was really fun looking at those! I especially loved this guy above.

I love drying roses. There is something so special about watching them turn into something even more beautiful. 

I looooove my boys. These cats are my life. I love them so much. Bentley (left) is a Blue Point Siamese and Benny (right) is a Plain Point Siamese. Benny is my love. I'm always so used to him being right by my side. So it was strange that they both were laying on my tummy at the same time. I had to capture the moment. How I love them so...

This is a photo that I took this morning from my Polaroid Automatic 240. I had purchased color film (that I sort of...destroyed - by accident!!) and a black and white film. I was so happy to see that this one turned out. I was soooo excited! I will be starting my 52 weeks of Polaroids on Monday. I will be using only a Polaroid camera (sorry, don't own an Instax) so I am really excited! This is just a sneak peek of what's to come. (Don't worry, I will have better pics that won't be from my cell, either) :p 

I am going Apple Picking today with my best friend, Ashlee. I can't wait to get some great pics!!! And I can't wait to show you guys! Have a lovely weekend, xoxo.

- R

Don't forget, if you are on Instagram, you can add me (I'll do the same)... autumnbalmbotanicals is my name on there!! Just leave your name in a comment so I can find you :]

A - Z !

A. Age: 23
B. Bed size: Full
C. Chore that you hate: Hmmm. Probably folding and putting away my laundry. Don't mind washing & drying oddly enough.
D. Dogs: I have one!! She's an adorable Cocker Spaniel named Lady Jane <3
E. Essential start to your day: The alarm clock waking me from my beautiful sleep. Plus cuddling with the kit cats (doggie too) and showering to get me wide awake.
F. Favorite color: Greeeen!
G. Gold or Silver: Silver, but if you're getting technical...white gold.
H. Height: 5’10 :)
I. Instruments you play: I played the flute in middle and high school, I played the tenor sax for a week and I played the bass clarinet (and just the regular clarinet) for a year as well. I was a band geek.
J. Job title: Supervisor, shop owner and blogstress :p
K. Kids: It'll be awhile before I have some of those.
L. Live: Southeastern Wisconsin <3
M. Mother’s name: Joy
N. Nicknames: Ray, Ray Ray, bestie, Rach...
O. Overnight hospital stays: Two...maybe?
P. Pet peeves: Slowwwww drivers. And people who can't drive on the freeway...and people who break constantly. Yes, all my peeves pertain to driving haha.
Q. Quote from a movie: "It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china has never been used, the sheets have never been slept in...Titanic was called the ship of dreams, and it was, it really was." Oh yeah, from memory baby :p
R. Right or left handed: Righty.
S. Siblings: 2 older brothers.
U. Underwear: Pink polka dots :)
V. Vegetable you hate: Beets. Ye to the uck!
W. What makes you run late: Nothing but pure procrastination!
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Chest.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Oh my, my 'special' lasagna.
Z. Zoo animal: Lions, tigers and bears! And bats && penguins!!!


If any of you post this on your page, leave a link here, I'd love to learn more about you <3
xoxo

We're open and we have new items!

Hoorayyyyy!!!! I know it took forever for us to return back to the land of Etsy (the time off was nice), but I couldn't wait to get back to my favorite site ever and show you all what I've been working on!

I just adore slouch beanies. So much that I decided to start making my own. I won't have any during the Summer months, just Fall & Winter...and maybe Spring. I just love cold weather, so I had to make some of these for those chilly months. I just love being all warm, snuggled up in my bed, and crocheting something for a special person. I hope whoever purchases them will love them just as much as I do. 

I had such a fun time taking a picture of one of my greatest friends, Emily. She rocked these hats! I love the yarn that I chose as well. They are all so different and full of handmade love.

This Lilac beanie is soooo incredibly soft. I love how great it feels. 

And of course, I'm saving the best for last. I was so lucky to get my hands on this yarn. It has sooo many beautiful colors mixed into it, I instantly fell in love with it and had to take it home with me. Every time I see this hat, I instantly thing of Fall and everything that comes with it...hot apple cider, scary movies, corn mazes, haunted houses, cemeteries, caramel apples...the list goes on for days. 

These hats are one of a kind. I will not be making them again, perhaps in different colors though. I did not use a pattern, I just made each one up as I went. I can't read a pattern to save my life actually. Shhh, don't tell anyone!! :p 

I hope you all love these as much as I do. I can't wait to send these to that special person! <3

Truth.

One day, you sit there and realize how much you love someone. That love is so unconditional, intense and feels like it will continue on for a lifetime, nothing can break you guys apart...but as time progresses, that love slowly evaporates. Now, love isn't holding you together anymore. The things you think you know about the person you love, suddenly becomes untrue, a lie. You don't know who they are anymore. Your dream guy suddenly turns into "that" guy. That guy you've always despised. That guy who is vulgar, uncaring and completely opposite of all things true and real. That guy who you always swore you'd never allow yourself to be with. But how did you know? How did you know that your dream guy, the love of your life, is nothing like you had thought? What do you do now? You close that book and run far far away. That's the only thing you can do. Because he's out there, that guy, that guy you've been pining for your entire life. That guy isn't the one you were in love with just for a moment, but the one you will be in love with for the rest of your life. Because if he loves you the way you love him, he will never let you go.

A weekend full of great finds!

I can't believe another weekend has passed so quickly. I had found some great treasures this weekend that I can't wait to share with all of you <3 I had seen a similar camera to this on The Dainty Squid's blog. It was an old vintage instant Polaroid camera (that you could actually get film for at a cheap price, GASP)! So I went on a manhunt to find that camera, or a similar model. (You can see her post here about her camera).

The model I found was a Polaroid Automatic 240. There is a funny story behind this actually. I had told me mum about this camera that I wanted. I told her that if she had seen it anywhere, to pick it up for me. I was going to a giant festival that happens one weekend a month during the summer. I was hoping I'd be able to get my hands on this camera there, I hadn't. So when I got home, I checked eBay. I'm pretty new to eBay (when it comes to bidding anyhow) so I was trying to understand the ropes when I was bidding for this camera. I had placed my bid and was hoping to win. I showed my mom and she goes, "Oh, I seen that camera today at the thrift store for $1.91, plus it's half off today." Um, whaaaaaaat?  I went into panic mode because I probably would have cried if I went there and it was gone. 

So I drove myself to the thrift store and couldn't find it anywhere. I found some other camera's before I found this one hiding. I again, hugged it until I left. I was soooo happy.

It's a larger model, which I love. I've been debating on getting an Instax mini or an Instax 210. But I'd rather have this. Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to take old pictures with the white border (not the 600 type film, older than that). I loved looking at my parent's childhood photos, and I always wanted to recreate my own. I never thought I was able to, until now!

I lucked out at the wonderful condition this baby is in. Barely any dust or dirt. Everything functions properly, and there was even an empty film cartridge in there, too! 

This baby came with everything, but the case. Which is fine by me because it's really unneeded, especially because it breaks down into it's own case anyways. 

I was very fortunate that it came with the manual as well. I loooove the old photographs on the inside showing you step by step  how to operate this beauty. 

This page is my favorite. Isn't she gorgeous?

This is the back of the manual.

It even came with the cold clip, too!

I thought this camera would be so complicated to open and operate, but it is soooo easy! I love how everything is numbered for you. My favorite feature is the focus. You have your normal view finder, and then there is a spot for you to check the focus. The image will appear in multiples if it's out of focus. Once you manually change that, it should appear as one image, and you're ready to shoot your subject! :)

I also got ahold of some other instant camera's by Polaroid. Do you remember these???

I totally forgot these existed, until I was looking on eBay. I still have mine somewhere. I was IN LOVE with this camera as a kid. I'll have to find some shots I took of my cats with this baby and put them on here for you guys to see :) Did any of you have one of these??

I also got another one of these. I have a few already, but this one is a macro camera, I couldn't pass that up (Macro has to be my favorite photography that I take). 

Not camera related, but I did get it on the same thrift sale. This neat little tin platter. I love the vintage feel of this and had to take it home with me.

I also got this cute little guy. I'm unsure what I'm going to put in there as of yet, though. (You can see this in some of the camera photos, too). 

Then I got this cute glass duck. I looove these! Did I mention I got all these goodies for around 7 dollars??? What a steal!!

My mom and I had gone to a little craft fair today that was held on a very old farm. These are the goodies I found...

Aren't these adorable?

Love love love!

Ahh I love fall!

I've been looking for a ring like this for the longest time. I've been hesitant to buy online because of the size issue. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't. I didn't want to take a chance.

And this guy. I love birds, and this was the perfect necklace for me! 

Now, I didn't get this copper bracelet this weekend. I actually got it while I was thrifting in Minnesota. I completely forgot to post about this, so I am now. I just love this, and am a big fan of unique copper bracelets. So there you have it! All my great finds from the weekend!! 

Brainstorming

This is me, brainstorming. I remembered I had an unused journal my cousin made me a few Christmas' ago. I love finding uses for my unused journals! I have so many great ideas floating around in my head in regards to my shop...I just don't know where to begin! :) 

If you are on Instagram, follow me, and leave your name so I can follow you too! @autumnbalmbotanicals

 ♥xoxo