Friday Finds: YouAreMySunshine

Meet Nina from youaremysunshine in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She specializes in handmade fabric flower brooches, fabric flower hair pins, rings, earrings, bracelets and statement necklaces in a rainbow of colors to bring sunshine to your day.

This beautiful woman was born and raised in the city of Marikina, MetroManila, Philippines in a very entrepreneurial family. She began studies to be a vet in college, but was always interested in interior design, the arts, creating. One of my favorite comments from her blog is this: "I always thought and still think that I could live in a cardboard box and it would be the most inviting and cozy cardboard box ever!"

Sit back and enjoy my interview with Nina:

How did you get your start on Etsy?
I started my shop in October of 2007, taking my first pictures, experimenting with photography. The results were terrible! I learned a lot along the years.

How did you choose your shop name?
When my sons were little, I would sing them to sleep with the nursery rhyme "You Are My Sunshine." Now that they are older, cuddles consist of discussions about anything and everything important to growing boys. Yet, as sleep overcomes them and their eyelashes finally fall onto their soft, smooth cheeks, their lips relax into innocent worry-less smiles and their ninja warrior/transformer gyrations settle into peaceful, lyrical sighs, I look at each one and still think, “yes, my love, you are my sunshine.”

What does a typical day look like for you?
I work a full time job so I do all my creating, listing, etc. on the weekends.

Name one thing that not many people know about you.
I love to sing, I love to eat.

Most people have something or someone they look to for inspiration - what or who is yours?
My inspiration is nature. I love color and the way nature always surprises me with its wonders.

What is the one thing you would want to be remembered for?
I would like to be remembered for what my children think about me when I am gone.

Do you have any family traditions that you hope are carried through to future generations?
I tell my kids I love them everyday. I vocalize what I feel and they in turn have responded in kind. I tell my mom I love you also which I never did consistently when I was growing up. I hope my kids will never be shy about saying those words to anyone who matters to them.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be?
I would love to be back in Paris for one day. San Francisco would be a close second.

You can also find Nina in her vintage Etsy shop, her blog, and on Twitter.