Meet My May Sponsors!

I'm happy to introduce you to this month's Seablanket Sponsors. This is the last month that I'll be accepting sponsors for this current blog, as I'll be making the switch to a new blog layout and URLs in the next month. Let's thank those who helped support Seablanket for the month of May (Can you believe tomorrow is June already!?)...
Sadie Delux: Sadie Rose is a California native who now resides in the foothills of Northern California after spending nearly 10 years in the Pacific Northwest. Using reclaimed textiles and jewelry as her primary art media, Sadie Rose creates clothing and accessories that are part gypsy, part space cowgirl, and part Mata Hari. Her vintage collection is inspired by modern fashion trends and distant memories of grandmothers' tea cups, cottages in Cape Cod, Ace of Base, and the Bay Area in 1988. Currently, her sadieDELUXE vintage collection and her handmade Lost Boys & Lovers collection are both available in her online shop. {See more of Sadie Delux here: Blog | Twitter | Facebook }
Upcountry Vintage: When I moved to Maui from the San Francisco bay area I was amazed at the treasures I found while thrifting and going to garage sales. Upcountry Vintage is an online boutique dedicated to bringing you hand-picked items from Maui to your home. In the month of May, I am offering Chelsea's readers a coupon code for my shop. Just enter "sbmay" to receive 15% off of your order! {See more Upcountry Vintage here: Blog | Etsy | Twitter }
Life In A Dreamboat: I'm Rachel; material artist and iPhone addict. life in a dreamboat is my personal blog where I document my work, inspirations, and random life adventures. I'm a lover of photography, fashion, and cooking...all of which make frequent appearances on my blog. When I'm not working at my "day" job, I'm creating new pieces for my small accessories line, which I someday hope to take full time. Stop by and say hello! {See more of Life In A Dreamboat here: Blog | Etsy | Twitter }
Megan Nielsen: Hi there! My name is Megan Nielsen, but you can call me Meg. I’m an Aussie designer living in the USA and I love creating sweet, feminine clothing full of pretty details. My designs are a reflection of my nostalgic heart and love of nature. As a child I used to love playing dress up in my mother's wardrobe, and to this day not only do I still get inspired by the sweet 70's styles that filled her closet, but I get inspired by the feeling I got when I looked in the mirror. I felt simply beautiful. And that's how I want my clothing to make people feel. I'm a firm believer that pretty is the new pretty. {See more of Megan here: Facebook | Twitter | Blog }

{Please & Thank You; May 26th}

Good morning everyone! I decided to squeeze in a last minute Please & Thank You this week. As you know, I'll be announcing a giveaway later this evening and giving you all a sneak peek into the Seablanket Etsy Shoppe this afternoon...Until then, hope you enjoy these questions and answers:

Q: Are you still planning to open an etsy shop? what will you sell?
A: I am! I am!! The shoppe will have vintage pieces for men and women as well as clothing and accessories handmade by me. I'm really excited to show it all off later today!

Q: When is your Etsy shop going to be up and running?!?! I cannot wait!!
A: It will be opening next Friday, June 4th, early in the morning. It's my 22nd birthday, and I really wanted to launch as a gift to myself. I seriously cannot wait. NERVES!

Q: Not a question; Stoked for you!
A: Thank you so much! ♥

Q: Who is your tattoo artist? I think your tattoos are beautiful! I live in Oregon as well and would love to have mine done by the same person.
A: Hello to another Oregonian!! My tattoo artist is Jerry Ware, from Atlas Tattoo Parlor in NE Portland, OR. I'd recommend any of the artists in the Atlas Shop. They're kind and amazing tattooers.

Q: I'd like it if you would move closer to me: what do you say?!
A: Well, I'm content where I am for the time being, but thank you for the offer. Wherever you live, I'm sure I'd like to visit! I would love to meet all my blog readers in the next few years on a big world-wide trip!

Q: Your Brigitte Bardot tutorial is possibly my favorite of all your DIY Tuesdays (except maybe the bow-scarf one :) Where do you get your inspirations? Or rather how did you figure out how to do hair like her? Lot's of research?A: First off, thank you so much! Secondly, being a beauty school dropout gives me the upper hand on attempting most hairstyles. It gave me the basic knowledge of how to get a foundation for any type of hairstyle and once you've got that, I enjoy bs-ing my way through the steps and coming up with my own version of things. I am always inspired by classic women with unique personalities. The essence they evoke is always attractive, and I love channeling them in my daily hair or makeup routines.
If you are interested in 1960's hair, I would recommend purchasing a book on mod or pin-up hair styles and try them yourself. See what works for you, and switch things up a bit to make them your own. Nothing is cuter than a classy chick with a retro do!

Q: You are so beautiful! What is your normal makeup routine, from day to day?
A: Daily, I wear a fairly sheer foundation, concealer and translucent powder. Then a subtle layer of blush. For eyes, I fill my eyebrows with loose powder, to look natural and wear a honey-toned eye shadow over my entire eyelid. Next, I smudge my thin brown eyeliner across my top lid, and leave the bottom alone. Last, I curl and apply mascara to my eyelashes. I always rock the chap stick, so I suppose that goes on too:) It's simple and fun and always looks good.

Q: This might seem a strange question, but i am terrible at searching the web. do you have any advice about finding lovely things? =] ♥
A: I tend to search flickr and fffound for images when I'm looking for something specific. I also use weheartit, and tumblr are great resources.

Q: Do you have any tips on how to make friends? xo
A: I am the last person to ask for this! I have few friends, but they are all very special to me. I'd suggest that if you're looking for new things, to try and step out of your shell. Plan small events with some people you barely know but have common interests with and go participate in a book reading or make music, or go to movies. I met one of my greatest friends at a concert, and we arranged to go see some indie films a few months later. We hit it off and now, I treasure her friendship. Be yourself and I'm sure friends will find you!

Thank you all for your questions! I will be seeing you soon, for the sneak peek!!

xxoo chelsea

{Please & Thank You; May 19th}

Welcome welcome to another Q and A post. I hope that you all have been enjoying these, as I may not be continuing them much longer. I haven't quite decided...but I do appreciate your feedback on the issue. Lets not wait another minute!

Q: You said in just this last Please and Thank you that you'd like to adopt a dog when you get your won place, but I thought you already had a dog? Or does he live with your parents?A: I do have a dog, named Munchie. She has been in my family for 10 years, and I love her to death. I'd really like to get another dog, one of my own someday soon! She lives with me.

Q: You have the most incredible style! What inspires you? [via ilyinwonderland]
A: Wow, thank you! I am really inspired by the classy women in today's fashion. I personally have a very plain day-to-day style that a lot of my friends consider masculine, which I see reflected in a lot of what Cate Blanchette, Tilda Swinton and Charlotte Gainsbourg wear. I really appreciate being comfortable, that never goes out of style.
I have been reading Kelly Cutrone's book "If You Have To Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You." In it, Kelly, the owner of People's Revolution, speaks on how Fashion is what you can buy in stores, but Style is your point of view. I love that. I think we can all be a little more creative with our ensembles and let it reflect the personality and style to make us individual. Do what you want, and others will follow.

Q: I really enjoy your Manic Monday posts! (I too, find Mondays quite horrible!) anyway, what fashion icons do you look up to (if any)?
A: Thank you! These are my current icons:

Irina Lazareanu-Mary-Kate Olsen- Charlotte Gainsbourg-

Tilda Swinton- Lea Seydoux-Freja Beha Erichsen-

Q: Hey babe, I love, love, love your blog. Hoping you would do some video tutorials. :) [via arinahmikayla]
A: I will definitely make a video tutorial for next week! I already owe a makeup tutorial to ya'll so maybe I'll even do two!

Q: What kind of foods do you eat? your skin looks great! any secrets?
A: Oh my, thank you. I am a very very selective vegetarian. I do not consume milk, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, or any creams. Only eating cheese and butter helps keep the lactose levels down, and gives my skin a nice glow. Also, eating anything/everything fresh if possible is SO good for your skin. My biggest advice for anyone is to moisturize inside and out!! Drink more than enough water a day, and cut out those sugary sodas or energy drinks. Use moisturizer on your skin, let it soak it all up and apply another layer. Your skin will feel baby soft and have a soft glow to it. Another thing, hands off your face!! No matter how great your skin looks, it can easily be wrecked by a pick or a scratch...let it breathe and it'll be gorgeous!

Q: Any love interests in your life?
A: I'm not sure. I never know if someone in my life is a potential love interest or not...I guess we'll see.

Q: I´m getting a tattoo recently and was wondering, have you ever had any issues about getting a job because of your tattoos?

A: Personally, I've had no trouble at all. I've worked in many different types of jobs, and while some may have asked me to cover them, they were never an issue. I think that if tattoos are going to be a part of you and a part of your life, you need to decide that if people don't accept you with the tattoos you have, then you don't want that job. I work with a lot of different clients, from very conservative to exhibitionist types, and my tattoos have never negatively affected how those clients treat me. It's about attitude. So hold your head up and do your best. That's all anyone can do, tattooed or not.

Q: Do you (or I guess people in general) get your tattoos done in sessions because of the money or b/c of the pain?
A: Personally, neither of the above. I live 5 hours away from my tattoo artist, so when I make an appointment, I have to communicate art over the phone or computer, and appointment time length varies upon my artist's schedule. We try to get as much done as we can in the time we've got, but sometimes, it's less that I'd hope. I love my artist though, he's worth the wait. I do know that tattoos are expensive and that breaking up a tattoo into sessions allows big pieces to be more affordable.

Q: What is your favorite musical?
A: It's a 3 way tie between Wicked, Threepenny Opera and The Last Five Years. I've seen all 3 in NYC and fell in love with them more than any other...(It was a huge highlight to see Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper take the stage in Threepenny Opera... they are phenomenal). When I was in high school, I participated in Acting Competitions and won State with my rendition of Kristin Chenoweths 'Popular' from Wicked!! So fun.

Q: You may have answered this already, but what are some of your favorite bands/musicians? What gets the most play in your music library?
A: I have not answered this yet, so thank you for asking!! My favorite artists will always be: Thrice, Sigur Ros and Billie Holiday.
Currently, I am in love with the following artists: Dr. Dog, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Sam Quinn and The Everybodyfields, Timothy Seth Avett as Darling, Jonsi, Bob Dylan is always good, and a lot of Local Natives (Listen to Airplanes).

Thanks as always for your kind questions!! Until tomorrow,

xxoo chelseablanket

{Please & Thank You; May 12th}

Welcome, once again, to another please and thank you post! I was asked some heavy questions this week, so go easy on me ♥

Q: How old are you? You seem like a wise little owl indeed. :)

A: I'm 21, and have so much to learn from life. I cannot wait to someday be wise, but I am definitely not to that point yet.

Q: If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be?

A: Tough one...I'd love to meet Nikola Tesla and Billie Holiday. Tesla, because he was so brilliant and so underestimated...I'd love to pick his brain and listen to him discuss things far beyond my comprehension. Billie, because of her honesty. Her expression of love, heartache and depression moves me so much and I'd love to see that evoked face to face.

Q: I've also recently begun the transition from cigs to running. It's proved, challenging, but I love experiencing runner's high again and am feeling better already. However, what do you remind yourself of in moments of weakness?

A: Congratulations!! I am so proud of you for kicking the habit! When I am tempted to smoke, I remind myself that I am doing this not only for myself, but for my family. My mom and sister are so encouraging and supportive of my choice. Quitting is as much for them as it is for myself. My grandfather died from lung cancer so it means a lot to my mom that I am choosing to quit before it's too late.

Q: What was the book you read about Seablanket in? Also, any other book recommendations? I'm quite a book hoarder myself.

A: You know what sucks??? I don't even remember what book it was in. I know that it was written in the early 1900's and that I bought it in a used bookstore because it had a cool cover. One day I sat down to read it and fell in love with the bit about "seablanket." If I ever find it/am reminded of which book it was, I'll be sure to let you know!

As for book recommendations, I'd suggest the following authors:

-Jonathan Safran Foer

-Dave Eggers

-Cormac McCarthy

-Kurt Vonnegut

I'd recommend all the books these men have written. They are full of witty wordplay and concepts to keep you thinking.

Q: Do you like Regina Spector?

A: Um, she's okay. I wouldn't list her as a current favorite of mine. She does have a few great songs that pull my heartstrings, I'll give her that.

Q: Did you have a past addiction with drugs? Do you mind talking a bit about it?

A: I did have an issue with drug abuse in the past. I attempted filling the void and pain I felt at the time with a whole lot of drugs. While I was using, I lost close friends, the respect of people I care for, and all respect for myself. The drugs consumed me and soon I was powerless to it, doing things completely uncharacteristic of my self. Nothing good ever comes from an excess amount of something... only selfishness and greed for more. To those who struggle with an addiction today, I really encourage you to find help and cut off the drugs/alcohol that consume you and sober up for good. I am constantly reminded of the mistakes I made while under the influence, and would do anything to take it back. The important thing, is that I have learned from my mistakes and I am working hard with my second chance at life, to encourage and support those around me. Second chances rarely come along, and when they do, should never be taken advantage of.

BTW: I'm 2.5 years sober. No turning back.

Q: Have you ever been depressed? and if so, how did you overcome it?

A: Absolutely, I've been depressed. I know everyone suffers from time to time, so the important thing is to give yourself time to suffer and grieve. Then, when your allotted time is up, snap out of it and go on with your life. Don't let yourself get stuck feeling sorry for yourself or being miserable. Life always goes on, and dwelling on positive things will encourage you to think on the good things in life. If you feel seriously depressed, consult a therapist or counselor. Meds aren't always the answer, sometimes it's just releasing your built up feelings that will help the most.

Q: How do you boost your self confidence on a bad day?

A: I listen to music I know makes me happy, wear clothes I know make me look good, and eat foods I know make me feel good. You'd be surprised how surrounding yourself with positivity can encourage your mood to improve.

Q: What inspired you the most this week?
{Before}

{After}

A: The weather and Design*Sponge's before and after section. It inspired me to re-decorate my living areas with items I already have, by reorganizing and improving them. I cleaned my home-office area too, it's been transformed!! I'm so excited about it. Also MK Olsen, fashion wise. She has always been a pioneer, but lately Mary Kate is perfect 10s in my book. Go take a peek...

Q: Would you consider adopting a pit bull puppy instead of buying one? There are so many homeless pitties out there, I know you can find the right one.

A: Oh absolutely. My family would always adopt animals when I was younger and I know if I ever do get a dog, I will adopt from a shelter or an abused animal facility. I'd love to be able to foster for animals as well, and take good care of them until an appropriate owner comes around for them. All things I aim to do, once I have my own place.

Q: How do you make a blog button--the scrolling text code?

A: I used google and typed in 'blog button code creator,' and followed the directions. It's pretty straightforward, and you'd be surprised how many options you have. Some sites will also template and create the design for you as well, and all for free.

Q: Have you always been a good cook? Any advice for someone who is terrible at cooking?

A: HA! In no way am i a good cook. I do not poison anyone when I make food, which is good I guess. My suggestion for a beginning cook is to buy a cookbook that has recipes that interest you, and to try a few of the simpler dishes. You'll soon find what comes easily to you and what is more challenging. Use the internet as a source too. Its full of suggestions and helpful tips from people who actually know what they're doing:)

Thank you all for all of your questions! I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

xxoo chelseablanket