Rememberance

It is hard not to remember where you were 8 years ago on this date. I woke up late and was missing my poly sci class because I had the flu. Of course I would be sick on one of the most historic days in history. I woke up that morning and turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit the tower. It still seems very surreal. I called my husband (my fiance at the time) and asked him what had just happened, being that I was not quite myself thanks to the medicine I was on, and he filled me in.

I am sure we all have our stories and know people who's lives were touched directly and I would love for you to share them. But I would also like to take a moment and remember the fallen from that day, and say a prayer for their family and friends as they remember as well.

State Fair of Texas

I spent the last 8 years living in Texas just north of Dallas, where fried food is KING. Especially this time of year. The State Fair of Texas is just around the corner. If you know nothing about this fair, know this: they actually hold a contest between the food vendors on who has the most inventive NEW fried food. A couple years ago it was fried coke! Yes, you heard me fried coke, and it was delish. One of this year's contenders is fried butter. (see the rest here) Everything is better with butter right? Well Abel Gonzales Jr. seems to think so and he maybe right, he has won the Big Tex Choice Award for best new food several times. So if you happen to be in the Dallas area from Sept 25-Oct 18. Make your way over to the fair and enjoy some good fried food as well as some of the other attractions there.

Also, let me know which one(s) you are going to try, or tried...I won't be making it down there this year and would love to know what you all think of the new creations.

A Creative Walk

This morning while I was on Twitter someone was asking how do you get the creative juices flowing? A great question. Most of us don't take the time to figure out how we do what we do, we just do it. The problem with that is we tend to get in a rut. (even if we don't know it) My suggestion was a simple one. Get out, take a walk and sketch (or take pics) of the color combinations that you see. What better way to get ready for the fall colors than to take your inspiration straight from nature!

I liked my idea so much that I took my own advice and set off with my 2 year old and we took pictures. But instead of taking pictures of what I found interesting I took pictures of things that drew his attention. He loved this, he figured out what I was doing right away and starting pointing out all kinds of things and helping take the pictures too!

I love when I am able to include my son in what I am doing, if you are a parent you totally understand what I mean. So below is a few of the things we stopped and took pictures of, I hope you find them as inspiring as we did.

I would love to know what you do to get your creative juices flowing too. Feel free to share what you do or what you do to get your kids involved in the creative process.

Shopping Smarter

I know that most of us have changed our spending habits in way or another over the past year with the hopes that the economy will rise again. A lot of us have started thinking about supporting locally owned shops over the superstores with the hopes to revive what might soon be lost. Projects like the 3/50 Project are a great way to get the word out about this sort of spending.

But what if we wanted to do more? Not just for our country but others as well. What about supporting the arts all over the world? Sites like Etsy are doing an amazing job creating a global community where artists can get together and sell their goods. Some artists even support different charities with their proceeds like Bags with a Mission who is trying to help some boys in Kenya go to high school.

Another idea for you is a company called Trade as One whose mission is to provide Fair Trade employment in impoverished areas of the world and create a new way of thinking when you purchase something, by asking yourself "who made this?". Simply stating they take people out of terrible situations like slavery or prostitution and teach these people skills like sewing or farming and then provide them with 100% of the profits, so that they can make a real living on their own and begin to support themselves. Charity is great to a point but unless you can help people support themselves, charity will always need more help. That's why I love the concept behind Trade as One. The founder is an amazing man with a heart bigger than life itself. I hope you get a chance to visit their site and learn more about them and their views. The site offers everything from home decor, to food, to apparel and everything in between. The craftsmanship is amazing as well. I have a purse, a journal and a necklace from them and love them all!

I just wanted to give you another option when you shop, especially with the holidays right around the corner. If you know of any other sites that are like this please share them here, I would love to know about them.


This basket is perfect for going to the farmers market!


Perfect for back to school or a diaper bag. It's waterproof for the most part since it's made from recycled rice bages!

Fun Surprises

So I was googling my shop today to see where I was mentioned and stumbled upon this! This website is one of the coolest I have seen, where regular people recommend what they love you can check it out here .



I love finding surprises! I have a busy weekend of work and social obligations this weekend so while I have some quite time I best get to work on some new vinyl pieces for the shop. Happy weekend!

Vinyl ReCYCLED

SO I have been teasing you with hints of my upcoming new line of jewelry and homewares made from vinyl records, and I am proud to say they are finally here!

I have 2 necklaces listed in my Etsy Shop as well as 2 wall hangings!

I can't wait to here what you all think of these. Feel free to leave your comments here or contact me directly at my Etsy Shop. If you you like to purchase one of the four of these, mention this post and receive FREE SHIPPING on your order until Aug 31~

Happy Shopping!

New Line of Art Debuting This Weekend!

I have been talking about some new art that I have been working on for about a month now, and it's finally ready to be unveiled this weekend! Yay!

My new line will consist of wall art as well as jewelry, all made from vinyl records! How cool is that?! I can't wait to show you. If fact the first piece has already been listed. Check it out here . It's a wall cross cut from a vinyl record and then painted.

I will be listing at least 2 more items this weekend, but hopefully more and there will be several to follow over the next few weeks. I will also be taking custom orders on these so if you have a design you would like me to work on for you please contact me anytime. And it doesn't just have to be crosses if you have another idea that you would like me to work out for you, let me know that too!

I am super excited about this project and I can't wait to see what you all think too, so leave your comments. Also leave a comment if you have other things that you would like to see me try.

New SALE, starts Wednesday!

I just wanted to give you all a heads up. I will be running a SALE on all my scrabble tiles starting WEDNESDAY! Over next few days I will be listing about 10 more designs for you to choose from.

Want to know what the sale will be? Here you go:: All tiles will be BOGO that's right. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! Now you have no reason not to get the ones that you have been wanting. Start looking now and gear up for Wednesday. The sale will run until Sunday or until the last one sells. I only have a limited amount of each design so you will need to act fast to make sure that you get the ones you want. Happy Shopping!

Art Show and Updates

Hello to all my avaid readers out there. I am sorry it has taken me so long to write anything on here. We have had a couple health scares around here lately and we are still waiting for the results of some tests but things seem to be quieting down a bit now so I think I can get back on track with things. Thanks to those of you who are still around you are why I keep at it.

I wanted to share some pics with you tonight of some items I picked up at a local art show a couple blocks from my house. Hopefully next summer I will be back up and running enough that I will be in the show next year!

The first piece is from Hands on Clay, owned by Karen Levy. She has some great nature pieces {bowls, plates and other similar items} In the shape of leaves or have leaf impressions in them. Beautiful colors! But the pieces I was drawn to are her lace inspired bowls and plates. I have seen these done before but the patterns that she used were absolutely stunning. Check out the one I pick up, you will see what I am talking about. If you like what you see you can email her at hands_on_clay@yahoo.com. She does custom orders too!



The second piece I purchased was from Small House Pottery , from Sanger, TX. This wonderful husband and wife team {Jim and Susan Huckaby} make beautiful pottery items that you can use in your kitchen on a daily basis. They have everything from mixing bowls {which I got} to canisters, apple bakers to salsa and chip bowls and everything in-between. They have that great Texas hospitality attitude that I miss. Plus they are from the town that I lived in the last 5 years. {Yes I know I had to come to Chicago to meet some neighbors in Sanger, ha ha}. They travel all over the US so if you would like to see their items in person chances are they will be near you at some point this year, including back home in Texas for the L D Bell Craft Fair in Hurst. You won't want to miss them or miss an opportunity to grab some of their items!



Stay tuned, I will have some exciting news in the next week about a new line of items I will be releasing soon and a new contest just for you blog readers. Can't wait to tell you.

***Also if you have anything new coming up let me know, I may want to feature it here on my blog and facebook and twitter! Talk to you soon.

And the WINNER is....

I would like to congratulate Crystal for being the winner in my Blog Giveaway! She will be receiving "Hoot" in the mail shortly! For everyone else that entered fear not there will be other contests. Thanks again to all who entered and stopped by. Have a great week.

Friday Finds

This Friday I found some great gifts for Father's Day that I wanted to share with you. I know that there is a long standing joke between Father's Day and tie giving - well this year you can give Dad a tie you know he'll love. Check out these finds!

1) The first is from Super Sweet Creations . Instead of getting just Dad a tie get matching shirts for the whole family. What Dad can resist this cuteness!

2) Maybe Dad already has too many ties then he just needs the proper accessory! Try these Lego Tie Tacks from Cufflinks. This will surely remind him of his former building days. It may even be enough for him to take his out and play!

3) With so many companies going to a more casual look in business wear not many Dad's are wearing ties these days. So why not dress up Dad's desk instead with this fashion statement from City Vintage .

4) Maybe Dad is crazy about his coffee, but he already has too many coffee mugs. Try dressing up one of his mugs with these upcycled coffee sleeves from the little trunk.

5) This is a great idea! Buy this piece of art from Smash Girl . What a great way to create a custom piece of art for dad.

6) Of course you can always just get him a tie. Maybe just a little cooler than his normal everyday ties. Try this one from Sugar Lust .

Enjoy these finds and if I missed any other cool tie gifts feel free to leave your links here for others to find!

Happy Monday

Hello all. I hope you are having a wonderful start to you week. I just wanted to give you a couple reminders....

FIRST: HUGE grand re-opening sale is still going on till this Sunday. Don't miss out on 10% off, free gift with your purchase and free shipping on any purchase over $50. PLUS I am still looking for my 60th sale! That person will not only get the above mentioned stuff, but I will also be including a BOX of free goodies as well. You don't want to miss out on that do you? Check out my shop here {also remember if you don't quite see what you like email me and I will be glad to set up a custom order for you!}

SECOND: Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway posted here on my blog! There's only 2 people signed up for it right now, so your chances are really good to win.

Tomorrow I will be listing some great items that would perfect for Father's Day. See you then!

Studio Space and Organization

Spring cleaning time has arrived and the one place we should not over look is our office space. With all the different ways to get organized why is it so hard to do it. My personal opinion is that there are too many different ways to store the same things and it gets overwhelming. So I want to share with you what has worked for me. Hopefully it will help you manage your clutter and make your office a place you want to be.

FIRST:
Shelving - I actually think that this is more important than a desk, why? Shelving is what gets everything up and out of the way! This way your desk is for doing actual work. I found this great shelf at none other than Ikea, I know shocking! But Ikea has some of the greatest tools for organizing, including this shelving unit {pictured below} at prices that won't break your budget.



This bookshelf is great for a couple of reasons, you can stand it up or lay it down {as I have it} for the type of space you have. But it also has different sized cubby holes to help keep you organized. As you can see in mine some of the holes have galvanized steel bins in them which you can add labels to to make finding items super easy. If you are trying to be Green and would rather use recycled pieces to hold your items you can find hundreds of sellers on Etsy with a great selection of old crates, boxes and bags for you to choose from.

You can also use floating shelves or wall mounted shelves to display your stuff. You can place ribbons, yarn, beads anything with lots of color in glass jars . Use a cigar box to store paint brushes or other loose odds and ends. Just to give you some ideas.

SECOND:
Your desk - You need to get what you are most comfortable with. I personally have a wood top with 4 metal legs. Super easy and sleek {in fact you could make this after I trip to the hardware store, buy some MDF board, metal pipe and flanges and your are good to go}. If you would rather have some storage underneath for paperwork you can get a filing cabinet or a desk with them built in. Craigslist.com is a great resource for office furniture when you are not looking to spend a lot. Of coarse you can always go to garage sales, this is the perfect time of year for those! Another option is to look for a desk with storage options above the desk or a desk that can close up {great if you have small children that like to get into things} just make sure that your monitor will fit in the place it allows for. I will tell you know if you have a 24" screen {like I do} it will not fit in that hole it's suppose to...

THIRD:
Make sure that you have thought about a place to write notes to yourself, keep orders out while you are getting them ready, and keep packing materials. This will save you tons of frustration later on. Also something to think about if you have kids make sure that you have a space for them in the office too. My son is 2 and loves to "help mom" especially when I am in the office working on things, so I have a second table in here just for him to have his coloring books, crayons, paper and such things. This way he thinks he is getting to help and do what I am doing but he stays out of my way, most of the time.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Decorate with items that will inspire you, not hinder you. Just because it's an office doesn't mean that it has to be a stiff environment. Paint your walls with colors you love, hang art you are drawn to and don't be afraid to change it up. If you have a memo board or magnet board fill it with your inspirations and make sure you look at it daily as well as add to it. Lastly, if something isn't working fix it, don't live with it. I hope this helps you in your quest for an office space that you can actually work in.

If you have other ideas or things that have worked for you feel free to post your ideas here too for others!


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DON'T FORGET YOU STILL HAVE UNTIL JUNE 14 TO GET SIGNED UP TO WIN MY GIVEAWAY!

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•••••••• GIVEAWAY TIME ••••••••

For my June Giveaway I will be giving away "Hoot" {pictured above}. This Art Block always stops people in their tracks at my shows {I've just never been able to part with him yet}!

He is made up from recycled 2x4, wire, paint, glass, paper, ink and crayon. The total size is 3.5"x3.5". This is a $20 value! To get get your hands on this fab piece all you have to do is visit my Etsy shop and leave a comment here about your favorite piece! It's that easy.

{Make sure to leave your email so I can contact you, when you win!} I will have a couple minor prizes as well so make sure you post often!

Contest ends June 14th.

GRAND RE - OPENING!

Today starts the sales for my grand re-opening of my Etsy shop ! For the next 2 weeks I will be blessing you all with 10% off everything in the store and free shipping for purchases over $50! Not a bad way to start things off right?

Well that's not all, over the coarse of the next 2 weeks I will also be giving you special codes for additional % off on certain days and I will be doing a give away here on my blog!

Come back here Tuesday for more details on the give away...Want a clue? Let's just say it has to do with the little guy in the picture above! Happy Shopping!


****OH, one last thing to mention to you all...I am only 2 sales away from 60, so to the 60th sale I will be giving away a box of goodies with your purchase! My way of saying thank you to all of my great customers!****

FRIDAY FEATURES - spring garden

Spring is all about new loves and budding romances. And how can it not with the snow melting and the ground beginning to form new life, giving us new hope and energy. Filling us with new smells and lighting us up from the inside out. Awaking our souls and reminding us that God is still there and waiting for us to find him in everything around us. {If you can't tell, I love spring}. So to kick off my new beginning {another thing spring is know for} here on my blog and my
So I will be finally re-opening my Etsy shop , I want to start featuring other artists that I have begun to love. These artist have amazing shops so make sure to look around at everything they have to offer.

1. Rush of Wings makes these great starter pots out of recycled newspapers. Perfect if you are wanting to start your garden a little early!

2. from Artisan Hands features handmade ceramics and pottery like these great inspirational stakes for your garden.

3. Garden Candy has these wonderful mosaic handled trowels for getting your planting done. Available in several colors.

4. LBs Sewing Sanity makes some wonderful items including this great garden bucket caddy, perfect for keeping your tools and other gardening items organized!

5. Scarlet Beautiful 2 offers those who aren't able to have a live garden of their own an alternative way to enjoy the beauty of spring. Her shop features some amazing photos not just the one featured here. Buy one or more of her shots to create the garden of your dreams, inside!

6. Of course there are some of us that are not born with green thumbs. But Blazing Needles offers cute plant alternatives for your home that need no watering. I love this cactus from her shop, something about it just makes me want to hug it!

7. JMN POTTERY has some great pots perfect for all types of plants for your indoor and outdoor gardens. Hers even feature their own attitudes!

8. Maybe you are looking for a way to recycle, especially with your garden. Take a page from Warm Country Meadows . They offer several different types of Moss Terrariums, including the one above. These are great if you are wanting something green but are terrible about caring for it. These will last for years if you keep them in a well lit area and water them every 2-3 months!

9. Sierra Creations features some wonderful stained glass pieces to help you remember the colors of spring even from your cubical at work. Just light from the back and enjoy!

I hope you find these artists as wonderful as I do, look for another great set NEXT Friday!

GRAND RE-OPENING!

So I will be finally re-opening my Etsy shop . {Insert happy dance here}
My offical re-opening date is set for SUNDAY, MAY 31! I will have a ton of things going on for the re-opening. A will have a contest here as well as SALES on every item for the first 2 weeks! If you can't tell I am super excited.

Along with my re-opening of the store I will also be BLOGGING again here and starting a Twitter page. I have already joined Facebook and will be posting special CODES and EXCLUSIVE SALES on these pages, so if you are not already following me on these, now's the time to start. I have created a fan page as well for my shop where I will be posting tips and tricks to help you with your ideas and business strategies. I look forward to being back and meeting with you all again! Happy Spring!

New Year, New Location

For those of you who do not know yet, my family and I have moved from the great state of Texas back to Illinois where we grew up. We are very excited about this move. I am hoping that those of you who have been around since the beginning will choose to stick around while we make this transition.

My Etsy shop will be closed until February while we get situated up here, but I will still be answering emails and taking custom orders. When the shop reopens I hope to share some new art that I have been working on.

I hope you all have had a great start to the new year and I look forward to seeing your comments.