Did you know that nearly 5 years ago Oh So ANTSY was born? On January 31st, 2011 I was living in Austin, Texas and I was over at my boyfriends (husband now!) apartment and I was determined to get an Etsy shop set up.
Just prior to that a friend asked if I’d like to share a booth with her at a local craft show. She suggested I knit some items but I knew that would take way too long. I suggested I used my new jewelry making skills from a class I had taken over the summer. I got to work creating and I was really motivated. I decided I would do it all so that I looked like a legitimate business when I was selling at the show. The first step was getting an online shop up so I’d have a place to send people (since of course they’d be raving about all my designs) and also I needed a name.
I sat down, opened up Etsy, and navigated to the “sell on etsy” page. I was so nervous and excited. I had no idea what to do and I didn’t even have a name picked out. What I did know was that before midnight I would have some version of a shop set up. It was such a big moment for me that I knew I wanted to share it with my birthday month.
At the time I wanted my name to be super clever and all encompassing so I could sell any number of things. I also wanted it to be math related since I have a degree in Mathematics. I had some clever name in mind but it was taken so I went back to brainstorming. Finally I settled on IntegrativeCreations! Awesome! It’s pretty funny now but at the time I thought it was great! With a name finally chosen I could officially set up my shop. I added what few items I had made and photographed and called it a night.
Part 2 will be heading your way later this week. If you’d like to see how my shop looked back then head to my recap of year 1 in business.
Now for the even more exciting stuff! To celebrate OhSoANTSY’s 5 years I’ll be giving away a World Map Necklace! It comes in sterling silver or gold fill and you’ll have your choice of which you’d prefer. To be entered to will all you have to do is comment below and tell me: If you could choose any place to travel to, just for fun, where would it be and why? Giveaway ends on January 30th and I will be sharing my favorite answer and winner on January 31st! For another entry find me on Instagram (ohsoantsy) Good luck!
Also just a heads up! Make sure to sign up for the newsletter (it’s free) and I’ll be sharing a super special newsletter only surprise at the end of next week! Don’t miss out!
I would love to travel to a remote island for a week and be free of all technology. I would take long walks, read books and just enjoy hanging out by the water!
That sounds so wonderful! I can already feel the warm sun on my face…
I’d go back to Senegal just to see my boyfriend that works there and that I haven’t seen since 2014 due to finances. I just miss him so much!
Aww that sounds like it would be a really sweet trip. I hope you’ll be able to reconnect soon.
I would go to Antarctica! I have no idea what sort of crazy travel is involved to get there, but it was a childhood dream of mine to someday see penguins in their natural habitat!
How adventurous! I bet it is crazy to get there but I imagine well worth it!
I’d travel to Alaska, cross country (or possibly cross-Canada) : ) and once I got to Alaska I would jump on a ship and take an Alaskan cruise. 2 bucket list items crossed off in one swoop……overnight travel by train (several overnights, for that matter!) and taking a cruise. Thanks for the chance to win a beautiful necklace and to spend a few fun minutes daydreaming about this lovely trip!
I love train travel! I took an amtrak from Chicago to Seattle with my dad last year and we really enjoyed it. It wasn’t fast by any means but there is something really soothing about watching the country slowing floating by. We’ve always talked about going across Canada too! I think I’ll be a stowaway on your Alaska/Canada journey!
Thanks to Mamma Mia, it’s Greece for me. Did anyone else get serious wanderlust while watching the movie? That blue water, sandy shores, rocky cliff coast… Sign me up for a nice long vacation.
It’s always been on my list too! Anyplace with amazing food, blue waters, sandy shores, and rocky cliffs is right up my alley!
After living in Germany for 4 years, I have realized just how small the world really is. I would love to go back to Europe to see the places I haven’t seen yet. Most importantly, I would love to take my grandson with me. I want to share my love of traveling and seeing new places with him. I don’t want his world to seem small, and I want him to grow up knowing that there are wonderful places and people out there!
I agree! Every time I travel to Europe I long for more and more time there! There is just so much history and so many things to see and experience. I sounds like a truly wonderful experience with your grandson along. I’m sure he would remember that and hopefully you’d be the start of a special tradition.
I would travel to Turkey! I have a customer who travels all over the world and I live vicariously through him! He says Turkey is his favorite place to visit!
I have never been but I would love to hear more about it! I love getting excited about new places to add to my maybe one day list.
I would travel to Guam. My dad was born there and he hasn’t been back since he was 7. I’d love to travel there with my husband and kids and the rest of my family.
I love the kind of trips that get the whole family involved especially when there is family history involved. I feel like passing those stories down are so important.
I think … I would pick Greece. Mainly because that’s where my grandparents immigrated from & I would love to see the culture.
Agreed! I would love to see Greece also!
I’d go to Europe! All of it
Why pick just one place! I love it!
I would love to go to Ireland… it’s always been high on my list! to wind through the grassy hillsides and drink a pint in the pub and soak up the culture.
My husband and I almost went there on a layover during our honeymoon but it wasn’t meant to be. I was really dreaming about a nice pink though-for a later trip perhaps…
I love London and that’s where I would go. Would visit my daughter who studies there and go with her to Lady Dinahs Cat Cafe because I love cats so much ❤ London is just awesome!!
It’s the best when you know family or friends there so they can take you to their secret favorite places! I love getting the inside knowledge and yes I love cats too!
I would want to travel to Europe with you and the old ACC gang. Maybe even Timmy? LOL it would be so much fun! We can even bring the spouses. I would want to go to Ireland because my birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day, and Poland, because I’m Polish and would love to see where my grand parents were born.
Ah yes that would be fun! I was just in Paris over my honeymoon and was thinking back to that hot spring day we were all arrived and how glad I was to put down my heavy and very impractical luggage. Hahaha! Ireland would be super awesome! And oh all the tasty food and culture in Poland would be great.
I would go to Spain, feel the warmth.
Oh that sounds lovely!
I would travel to India. I feel such a strong connection to that place. The people, the music, the food, the colors, the life. It’s all so real and full of energy and love! I want to go and travel India and one day become a missionary and adopt from there. “Where you plant seeds, you’ll have an abundant harvest.” And India is that place for me.
You’re giving me goosebumps! Thank you for sharing your story!
I would want to travel to the Alps. I would like to participate in the Freedom Climb in which participants climb the Alps to raise money to fight against human trafficking in countries around the world including the U.S. There are over 30 million women, children and even men who are enslaved in this and have no hope of getting out. I would like to do my part to raise money to help with safe houses and rescues of those who cannot help themselves. So I guess my heart is really for the world.
I haven’t heard of that climb. I will be looking into that myself. Any cause that is helping to fight human trafficking is well worth supporting. If you make it out there I would love to hear your story!
There are so many places to which I want to travel that it’s hard to pick just one. My first choice is to go to Munich, Germany because that is where my family is from. There are so many questions about our family history that it would be nice to get some answers there. I’ve been told that our family heard rumblings about Hitler and left the country before he came to power, and thankfully so. To go there and see where our ancestors lived would be awesome.
Oh I love finding out about family history. It sounds like yours could have some really interesting stories! What a fun and interesting trip that would be.
I LOVE your store! If I could travel ANYWHERE…I would go back to Haiti. Haiti is one of those places that is a beautiful disaster. It is not the cleanest place, there are hogs on the coast line, there are not many street lights or stop signs, it is a third world country! BUT the colors are amazing, the people are sooo friendly and have anazing values, the people do NOT complain, they make the best of every situation! I felt at peace while I was there on a mission trip. I witnessed believers in Christ walking to the water dressed all in white singing beautiful Haitian hymms to be baptized. I witnessed amazing ingenuity when the motel owner made a shower head out of a chilli can by poking holes in the bottom and stringing it up to the pipe sticking out of the wall. I saw compassion in every smile! Haiti is a place that has a piece of my heart. I could go on and on about how beautiful Haiti is (not just the parts cruise goers see) , but rural Haiti. Plus their food is oh so good!! Happy 5 years Oh So Antsy!! Thank you for this giveaway
Stephanie! Oh I just love this one! Not everyone can see the beauty in places that are so different from their own. I’ve never been to Haiti but I’ve only ever heard amazing stories. It would be one of the places I would really like to travel to one day. Thank you so much sharing your special memories. I can picture it now and all I see is beauty.
I REALLY want to go to Alaska!!! Looks so incredibly beautiful! Trees, mountains, streams, wildlife, you can’t beat it. My husband says I’m nuts, too cold there. That’s what warm clothes are for. You can’t pass up on that beauty <3 Bundle up
April C.
acrisafu@nycap.rr.com
I follow on IG too
Exactly! You’ll only be cold if you aren’t dressed right! I say go for it! We are in Seattle and I would love to visit while we still live on the West Coast.
Oh then you are near my other dream spot! I’d love to drive up the Pacific coast highway to Cannon Beach in Oregon!