Has it really been 15 years already?

Has it really been 15 years already? I remember just where I was and what I watched unfold on TV.
For a brief moment the soot and ash covered us all; concealing the color of our skin, our political views and all the other things that devide us today. For that brief time we were nothing more than Americans. We became the nation I was told we were as a school kid. We cared about our neighbor without prejudice and we worked toward a common goal. We felt empathy for one another and rather than rioting we held blood drives, memorials and moments of silence to reflect and come together. Did it lead to a war? You're damn right it did because freedom is far from free and I thank God for the men and woman who had already made the decision to put their life on the line and the many who decided at that point that it was their duty and joined the armed forces. I am thankful for the first responders who ran into buildings knowing their life was at stake to save their fellow Americans. In the moment it seemed like everything happened in slow motion; our hands were tied watching the destruction and then the rebuilding and healing process. Yet looking back it all happened too fast; where did that pride in being an American go? Where did our empathy and care for one another go? When did we start hating our military, first responders and when did we lose our love for red, white and blue? Does it take something as extream as an attack from a foreign enemy to bring us together? I surely hope not. I hope we can find a positive way to come together again.

Influenster is HERE!

I got my FIRST Influenster package today!

(Did I mention it was FREE!) A whole set of L'Oreal Paris makeup for my eyes! Those of you that know me know I visually have NO eye brows. (Yes there is hair but it blends in) using the Brow Stylist Prep & Shape Pro kit I was able to easily add some tint to them and shape them! Next on to the eye shadow, they sent 2 Color Richey shadows; Pain Au Chocolat and Paris Beach. Both went on smooth and blended well adding just a little highlight! Next I lined my eyes with their Infallible Classic Black. It went in perfect and the smudger is much better than the one on the previous eyeliner I've used; it actually smudged and didn't just wipe the liner away. Then to finish off I used their Voluminous Primer and Mascara. When used together they did create a nice full eye lash effect great for day time but not as thick as the mascara I have been using. I do really like how it doesn't clump up and separates my lashes though! All in all I did like each item in the box and i think ive officially found a new eye liner and brow kit! I look forward to trying new things with Influenster as well!

10 Cute Cacti You NEED in Your Life!

Being a desert child myself I have a love-hate relationship with our cactus plants. Nothing says home like a desert scene full of prickly pears, sage brush and creosote but let me just say that cactus spines are no joke! Here are a few ways to enjoy the charm of the desert southwest without getting stuck with the tiny spines of a jumping cactus!

1. Bloom Where You Are Planted Tank by The Branding Iron Trading Co.

 

This is the tank that inspired this post as a whole! I've seen the quote floating around for a while now but accompanied by tropical blossoms and other pretty blooms it just didn't represent home to me, so I HAD to design this top! I may or may not also have it on my Ozark Tumbler and as a art print on the wall of my craft room. I'm only a little obsessed! Shop Here!

2. DIY Cactus String Art by From Scratch

 

 Feeling crafty? Try this super fun and funky cactus string art! You could keep it simple or dress it up with all sorts of embellishments too! Get the instructions here!

3. Shiner Prickly Pear Summer Ale

 

The prickly pear cactus is native to Texas as is Shiner Beer! The two come together in this citrusy and slightly tart ale brewed in Shiner, TX. The small town is where my sister and her family live and I've been fortunate to visit a few times! The brewery offers tours complete with beer samples!

4. Cactus Marquee Sign by Saw and Steel

 

How perfect is this handcrafted light-up cactus?! They are made in Gilbert, AZ so this lady knows cacti! Drop by her Etsy page to swoop one of them up or have one customized for yourself! Here's a link to her listing!

5.  Cactus Print Stud Earrings by Auricula

 

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! (No really, please do, its hot in the AZ summers!) These 10mm studs are too stinkin' cute! They are only $9! The shop owner even runs a special when you get 3 pairs (mix and match styles!) Snag some here!

 6. Cooking with Cacti by Garrett McCord

 

Jellies, mojitos, sweet candies and all sorts of other delish things can be made with the fruit of a prickly pear! This article from Simply Recipes tells you how to prepare the fruit to be used in all sorts of things! Read more here.

7. Hard to Handle Boots by Junk Gypsy

Shop on gypsyville.com

 

Holy CUTE! A friend posted these because she ordered them for her wedding so I HAD to track them down and begin drooling! They are perfect to be paired with anything! Now the hardest part; do I need the brown ones or the retro pink?!

8. Cactus Dog Collar by Green Bean Dog

 

I've got 3 pups myself (Tucker Lee, Pancho & Beretta Lynn) and while I would never let them get tangled up with a live cactus I am in love with this super cute collar featuring cacti in bloom! Don't leave Fido out of the cactus love! Here's the Etsy link in case your pooch needs one too!

9. Cactus Pin Cushion by Sleepy Cactus

 

Still along the lines of being crafty but this time in the form of needle storage! My mom had the ever popular tomato pin cushion in her sewing box (pretty sure every seamstress has had that one at some point!) but how cute is this one?! Once I get the hang of my sewing machine I may need it! Get yours here!

10. Painted Cactus Garden by the WHOOT 

 

Love the look of a cactus garden but don't have a green thumb or just not too sure about the little spikes? Here is a super cute alternative! I'm planning on trying this one myself, wish me luck! Want the full set of instructions? Follow this link!

Cute cacti are popping up all over the place (not just the desert!) Still want more? Follow my pinterest board Cacti Love, I'm sure I'll be adding more to it soon!



Be sure to keep up!
Gwynn

5 Things About The Soon-to-Be Mrs. Jones

(You know, the one you're supposed to be keeping up with!)

Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Gwynn; a fairly typical girl from Yuma, AZ. But here's 5 things that really seem to define who I am...

Jonathan & I at the Oliver-Ellis Wedding Feb. 2016

1. I am engaged to Mr. Jonathan Jones.

(Which makes me a Mrs. Jones-to-be! ) I have to say when Jonathan and I started dating I knew instantly I was really in for it. He was the other half that made me whole! (I promise not to get too mushy!) His love for working with his hands and making things was perfect for my diy lifestyle and the fact that he can cook is just icing on the cake! (Pun intended!) We started dating the day after we went out for the first time and on our first anniversary he recreated our first date but instead of his kissing me good night at the door and promising to see each other again soon, he asked me to be his wife and of course I said yes! It’s been a fairly stress-free engagement; we are both on the same page as far as what we want wedding-wise and closing in on 3 months til the big day we have just about everything lined up. So on October 22, 2016 I will no longer be Miss Gwynn Roach, I will be Mrs. Gwynn Jones! I can’t wait to share photos and lay out some of my favorite wedding DIYs for our fall themed event!

2. I am a VERY crafty person.

Painting, stringing beads, paper crafting, dog bow making, building small things (when Jonathan lets me use the power tools) sewing (a learning process, my mom is teaching me via phone from St. Louis) and just about anything else you can think of; if its crafty I want to try it! My senior year of high school I refused to order the school provided graduation announcements and went about crafting my own. I will be married to the love of my life in October of this year and I am having a ball making all sorts of things for the wedding as well as slowly piecing together our wedding scrapbook; the idea is that by the time I get our pictures back all I’ll have to do is decide which prints to order to fill in the book! Some new crafts I hope to learn a little about would include leather tooling, cake decorating and advancing my skills as a graphic artist. I also promise a whole tour of my craft room eventually! Its a bit chaotic but its my little happy place!

Brittany & I at a fashion show featuring The Branded Cowgirl bling!

3. I started my first handmade business as a senior in high school.

It all started with a few pieces of jewelry I’d made for myself; chunky, western stone jewelry were my favorite fashion pieces but being that I am a crafty person I had to make my own. I ordered some howlite stone beads from buckroobay.com (in lime green and purple!) and made my first piece. And then I made a trip to Michael’s Craft store to get more materials to make another, and another. Soon I had a small collection and became the envy of local rodeo queens who then approached me to make them some gawdy bling too. A little bit of encouragement (and need for weekend spending money) led me to starting a small time handmade jewelry business. It wasn’t until my Ag. Business class my freshman year of college that I had to write a business plan for a fictitious business that it truly took shape. I took on the name The Branded Cowgirl and went from there. I began setting up at local craft fairs, selling online to a fairly large Facebook following and in April of 2014 I even opened a storefront! (It closed 6 months later, but that’s another story!) I adore creating new things and love trying new crafts and adding my own spin to it. In 2015 when Jonathan and I began doing craft shows together (and some that he traveled to on his own when I had to work my day job) it came time for a name change to encompass everything I made. What started as handmade western jewelry has become a line of fashion caps, jewelry, decals, tumblers, home decor and now even an in-house printed clothing line! So The Branding Iron Trading Co. was born. We’ve traveled around Arizona to craft fairs and look forward to doing even more of that in the coming year. Feel free to follow here for behind the scenes fun as well as shop on www.brandingirontradingco.com!

A more current idea of my business inventory; Branded Blossom caps, bling, home decor and more!

Diamond in the Rust

4. My Biggest Dream: Traveling the Country in a Vintage Camper!

There is just something about the shine of an airstream or the wings and the “Z” on the side of a Shasta that has me captivated! So much so that I’ve been known to park in a lot that had a Silver Bullet just to admire it. If I were to take my dream a step further it would include the fact that I want the camper to also carry my handmade business to travel and stop in fun little towns along the way. As much as I am deeply rooted here in Arizona a part of me dreams of being a desert gypsy and seeing this beautiful country around me. Fortunately for me I have people who totally support my obsession. Jonathan and his dad happened to be in the next town over one weekend and saw an old, beat up lemon of a vintage camper. The owner didn’t know much about it but after seeing pictures it HAD to be mine. Little did I know the owner was my lifelong best friends’ (twins) dad! So with $125 in my hand I managed to swoop up one of the biggest projects of my young life. I can’t wait to post updates of the restoration project, expect updates this next year!

5. I am long winded.

Ha! As if you couldn’t tell already! I used to love sitting down with my dad to talk about anything under the sun and 2 hours or more later wondering how we got the subject we were currently discussing so I guess I get that from him. Friends used to laugh and give me a random topic to talk about and see how long I could ramble on about the subject. (My record is just under 5 minutes!) This blogging thing is something I’ve played with for quite some time and decided to dive right in!

So in a nut-shell; this is me! A crafty, gypsy dreaming, ambitious talker with a wedding just around the corner! I can’t wait to share with you all stories of projects, home and life as well as learn a little about the folks who silently read about the life I lead. I’d love to “meet you” so feel free to tell me 5 things about you as well!

Try to keep up!
Gwynn