multi-use winter accessories

now that it's november in Minnesota, i've been happily pulling out my winter jackets, clothes and accessories. i am a summer baby but i do love layering and feeling cozy when its cold outside.

back in August i found an amazing, handmade vintage crochet shawl at Ragstock for about $6. with a little push and some inspiration from my style guides on instagram (@manrepeller is particularly influential) i put the shawl to the test as a scarf. lo and behold, it is a thing of beauty and warmth worn either way.

shawl/scarf, vintage rings, red nail polish and a recycled
military-inspired black jacket. 

when i get to school after braving the elements and the bus, then i use it as a shawl again to keep me warm in the cold classrooms. i love getting the most out of my money, using recycled pieces year-round!

the currency of trade

ok, ok, i know i have been absent from posting for a few weeks - but i'm a grad student now and school has pretty much taken over my life! also, my family and Trevor were in town and i was incredibly busy. ANYWAY...

i recently made a connection via Instagram (only the best social media app out there - photos galore!!) with a sweet chica from California who crochets and makes really awesome things. see, part of the magic of Instagram and other social media outlets is the hashtag. i think i'll have to devote an entire post to hashtags and their capabilities another time. so i found this Neena and mentioned on one of her photos of an item that she made that i would love to trade if she liked any of my own creations. lo and behold, we connected again via Etsy and now the trade is in progress! i make her 2 custom pairs of earrings and she crochets me a super adorable cropped sweater vest.

Neena's custom leather fringe and chain earrings, by bohobetty (me)

now that i've found how easy this can be among artisans, i made a note of it on my etsy page so that if other creative people like my jewelry but are tight on cash, we can both benefit by making a trade for equal value. just like that, we eliminated the need for dollars AND we are supporting one another as artists. this sounds familiar, yet not quite mainstream...more on the co-operative model is to come!