We got a puppy ...

I texted this photo to some of our family & friends announcing that we got a puppy! She is a brown & white Siberian Husky with blue eyes, born on December 7, 2011 [4.5 months at the time we got her]. 

We didn't know about her or that our family was open to the idea of getting a new puppy, until 8:30 PM the night before when I read a friend's post on Facebook. The previous owners needed to find a new home for due to allergies & a friend put a note up about it on Facebook [it wasn't that family, it was a friend of the girl who posted it on FB].

My first comment was "oh I WISH!" But then, it all felt so serendipitous, I couldn't shake the feeling that we had to have her. We had made the decision to get Daisy [our black & white Siberian Husky] almost 12 years to the date, under the same circumstances. Daisy's previous family couldn't keep her due to allergies. So we adopted Daisy, giving her the middle name "Mae" [we brought her home on May 1, 2000].  So with all that in mind, I went from 1/2 joking about asking Kyle if we could get her, to convincing him why it was a good [spontaneous] decision. 

A phone call was made that night, a meet-n-greet was set up that next morning. Hazel [she came with that name, which we LOVE & it goes so well with her big sister Daisy] ... came home with me at noon that day. Miss Daisy wasn't all that amused ... but I can't blame her. :)

 Introductions ... Daisy meet Hazel. Hazel, your big sis Daisy.

We did give Hazel a middle name ... Jean. I thought it went well with Daisy Mae. And I thought it was a good fit since her eyes are blue [blue jean]. So she's Miss Hazel Jean.

I do believe it's all the romping that spooks Daisy. She's 12. Doesn't move as nimbly as her 4.5 month old little sis. Freaks her out.

Daisy's thought bubble: "D*mn. That thing quit moving. Didn't know it was possible." [she cusses occasionally, like old, irritable dogs do. We let her as long as it's not around the kids.]

The kids were ecstatic to say the least. They have energy, puppies have energy. Win-win. And it takes the pressure off of Daisy ... since Brett keeps trying to get her to do tricks that he sees on TV & at shows. [Flashback to Summer 2009, here] He would LOVE to see Daisy jump through a hula hoop. She will NOT. But, perhaps he can work on Hazel. 

This photo [above] just might be my favorite from that first day. I think it shows their ages perfectly. Hazel's a blur in a full gallop. Daisy's grazing.  

 Kyle meeting Hazel. Love at 1st sight, for sure.

Too busy & tired to think about dinner that 1st night with Hazel [like most new puppy parents ;)], we got Chinese take-out. This was my fortune. :) Sweet Hazel ... has done just that.

So we've been busy 'round here. We became puppy parents literally overnight. I've been trying to take Hazel out more to burn off some of that energy [for Daisy's sake]. She's an excellent fitness trainer. She turned my fast paced walk into a full jog. And I didn't want to stop because I knew how good it was for her - & how good it was for me. Another win-win. 

Miss Hazel is not perfect. She makes mistakes. Like choosing to get up on my patio table & dig to China in my planter. Her favorite thing is to pluck all my planted flowers out of their pots. Every day there's a new flower that I have to replant. She doesn't eat them, just grabs a leaf with her teeth, tugs & drops it on the ground. At least I can still replant them ... [but it is getting old]. ;)

But her cute pudgy paws, cool blue eyes & all that cute puppy fat around the neck are what make the clean ups worth it.  She's adorable. Puppies are cute.

Right, Daisy? Daisy ... right? [Daisy's faces crack me up]

Thank You ...

Lindsay Hopkins! :) You are the name I drew from Libby's snack bowl [from yesterday]. On the upcycled Libby scratch paper! Woo hoo! Pick out your mini. I have a few more I can show you if you want to wait ... I can e-mail you a few pics from some I haven't listed yet. :)

And for the rest of you ... not only THANK YOU, but I also have made a change. I have increased the coupon code. The other one still works [until Friday 9/30] ... but if I were you, I'd use this one: 4YEARSALE20. For the obvious reasons. Unless you're bad at math. Then it may not be obvious & that's okay. We don't judge here. :) If you have any problems using these codes between now & Friday, let me know. I've never done a coupon code before. New territory here. 

Thank you for coming to my 4 year Etsy Party! And for being my #1 fans [all 15 of you tie for 1st].

[Lindsay - just saw your own discount going on. Ha! Great minds, I tell ya. Go check out her deal, too.]

You're Invited ...

My Etsy Shop! [And Libby still, of course.]

Back in 2007, I had little ones.

My oldest had just started Kindergarten. My youngest I still toted around in an infant carrier. My middle had just gotten potty trained officially. We had just moved from Corpus Christi, TX to Kansas City, MO. My husband had just started a new job. I already had my own site ... but was introduced to Etsy. Etsy had traffic - unlike my own site. Etsy made it easy to have an online "shop" - unlike my own site. I gave it a try, opening up my own shop 4 years ago today. It was NOT a smashing success at first ... but it was a leap of faith. It was making myself more "public" ... since, let's admit it, my own site only was visited by my family & friends. It was as off the beaten path as you could get.

And this ... is what 4 years later looks like. Big kids. Everyone is potty trained [most of the time]. No infant seats - just booster seats. Libby is in Pre-Kindergarten! In 4 years I've gone from people asking me "Where do you find the time?"to ... [now that I have 3 kids in school 5 days a week] "What do you do with all your time?" My oh my things have changed.

4 years has also given me time to grown into my own skin. I have fine tuned what I want to do. I've had some trial & errors. Have had some amazing opportunities including two custom 3 foot x 3 foot quote canvases.  I've sold note cards & have added prints. I've had 188 sales to date. My shop has raised $1,781 that I didn't keep. $1,011 went to the Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education [F.I.R.E.] & this past April $770 was given to the Resource Center at our children's school, funding a Language Program. I've learned how to share our Autism journey with others because I learned that ignorance is not bliss. I realized that painting messages that create a moment of hope, strength or compassion for somebody are what I can do to make the world a kinder more loving place for my kids to grow up in ... especially the one for whom the world isn't always easy. But to be honest, seeing that the world isn't easy for him probably hurts the rest of us more than it does him. He's not always aware, but we are & it can be heart breaking. Our family having Autism has given me a purpose & a direction. It has sort of become my mission - to replace 1 hurtful moment with a happier one. Even when it's not Autism Awareness Month.

Life is about constant change - with the hope of improvement. That pretty much sums up the past 4 years. :)

So, now that my obligatory 4 year wrap up is done ... it's time to get on with the party. :)

First of all, no one has touched the cake. Please help yourself to a piece of the Strawberry Layer Cake. I made it from scratch. Even the cream [so no, it is not fat free]. :)

And what would a party be without a GAME? A no fun one, that's what! So the game is ... go to my shop. If you were to win either a 4x4, 5x5 or a 5x7 canvas ... which one would you choose? Then leave a comment below & let me know. If I draw your name ... you'll win it [unless it's sold in which case you can pick another?]. This game is only for the 4x4, 5x5 & 5x7 canvases ... One entry per person. Contest ends Monday 9/26 at midnight.

And since there will only be 1 winner ... I have a treat for everyone else. A coupon code to be used in my Etsy shop - to get 15% off any item/s in the store! Coupon code [4YEARSALE] is good now, but expires after Friday, 9/30 ... that way if you don't win the give-away & you had your heart set on something, you have a few days that you can still get it with your party discount. :)

THANK YOU for being my biggest fans! :) PARTY ON!

New Goods & Giveaway ...

While working on another painting, something caught my eye. It was something that's been on my bulletin board for close to a year. A doily & a 'Life is Good' sticker. Just two separate things I liked & combined. As seen below... [from Oct. 2010]

Seriously. Who doesn't love doilies? They make me happy. And they do make everything sweeter. Whether it's a quote. Or a cupcake.

Had a few trial & errors, but overall loved the look combining paint, doily & a sweet quote. And I had fun with the color combos. My favorite being the yellow, pink & red. Do you have a favorite?  Happy Friday! Oh & don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY. Ends tonight at midnight!!!!!! [*now closed*] So far it's a small pot ... your chances are pretty good! ;)

Celebrating Oma ...

It's a gorgeous 63 degrees here, our windows are open, I'm in a great mood & I'm excited for my mama's new journey as an Etsy seller [<-- link]  Let's celebrate. What better way, than to give away one of my prints of the vintage books? You're right, there is no better way.

For a chance to win this 8.5 x 11 print [for sale here, frame not included], simply "heart" [aka mark as an Etsy "favorite"] her shop, Oma's Trunk [<-- link] and / or some of her "ephemera". :) Oma needs some fans that aren't her daughters. Not that she won't get there on her own ... I know she will. But a little extra grand opening publicity never hurts.

Please leave a comment letting me know 1) what your favorite item in the shop is; 2) that you love Oma in the form of an Etsy heart. Don't have an Etsy account? I will also accept just a heartfelt sentiment from those who haven't joined Etsy yet. :) Make sure I have a way to get in touch with you [either because I know you personally, can find your e-mail address in your Blog profile, or simply leave your e-mail address in your comment]. Give-away ends at 12:00 midnight on Friday 9/9. Winner will be e-mailed shortly after! [*now closed*] Goooo Oma!

P.S. If you have already purchased one of the prints of the vintage books & you are picked as the winner - you may pick out any of the other prints in my shop, if you choose to do so!

The Trunk is Open!

Shop found here.

I think these old book jackets would look awesome framed ... [HERE]

 These would be fun to frame as well ... [HERE]

Cute as a vintage button! Love the tomato red color ... [HERE]

 

I snagged some of the duplicates of these wine labels to frame. I love the artwork & colors ... [HERE]

And look out. The "Rosie the Riveter" sheet music [top left] is worth $75 - 80. Set of 3 WWII sheet music, Oma's selling for $75 ... [HERE]

You can only IMAGINE how much fun my mom & I had this past weekend setting up her 1st Etsy shop. :) Playing around with her shop title gave us creative expressions that we used all weekend. Even Oma's 7 year old grandson, Davis, caught on & started using them. :)  'Junk in the Trunk' doesn't even scratch the surface. I don't want to give anything away ... she might use some of them as titles for her items or branding.

All joking aside ... my mom has opened a vintage shop on Etsy, called "Oma's Trunk". My mom has not only taught German, but has lived in Germany for a year in college teaching English. She figured using the name "Oma" instead of "Grandma" helped separate her from the rest & gave a hint at some of her things she will be selling - some of which are German or European.

We went shopping for some supplies that she'd need for packaging & sorting, brainstormed some branding ideas, did research on the worth of some of her items & practiced photographing - including the trunk as seen in her banner & profile photo. That trunk was actually her grandfather's [my great grandfather's]. We were again laughing - that perhaps this trunk has never gotten so much attention. I'm sure it felt like a celebrity as we took probably close to 50 photos of it, different angles, etc. He worked it.

Another opportunity to laugh was when my mom said "I've given you girls [me & my sisters] enough time to take what you want ... now you'll have to pay for it." :) ha ha And by "it" she means her "ephemera" - which she explained to me was just a fancy word for "crap". :) She knows these things aren't crap, however, which is why she wants them to go to a good home.

Some of the items are from her own Garage Sale hunts 30-something years ago, back when she'd take 3 little girls. Who I'm sure complained. Or were so embarrassed [as we got older], we wouldn't want to be seen, so we wouldn't get out of the van. :) Back then, if a purchase wasn't for her own personal use, knowing the worth, she saved it with the thought that some day when she was retired from teaching she'd open up an antique store or booth. Well, back then they didn't have Etsy. :) I think Etsy will be a good fit for her. And my dad now has something to keep him busy during his retirement, as well ... making sure to nail down [or hide] the things he doesn't want sold. ;) ha ha We're just JOKING, dad. Kind of. Are you using that coaster? Going, going, going ...

Anyway, be sure to visit my Mama / Oma's shop. And 'heart' her! Take it from me ... these 14 listings in her shop are only the first 14 of about 50,000 items she is slowly parting with. Oma's party is just getting started. :)

P.S. Don't miss the give-away going on now 'til midnight on 9/9!

Fundraiser wrap up ...

Real quick because I'm supposed to be packing. But, just wanted to send out a final tally for my Autism Awareness Fundraiser for my son's Resource Center at school. My goal was to raise $500 in order to purchase a Language program & together we actually raised $700! :) AMAZING. Thank you! So so much!

I am off to spend a few days with some old faces. One of my Mother's Day gifts was a shiny new red suitcase with a flight reservation in it.  Had to suddenly break some plans with some peeps here & have to suddenly make some plans with some peeps there. Say a prayer for me ... I'm not used to operating solo. It's already feeling weird! :)

{handmade with purpose.} 4/2 - 4/30

Participating Shops:  Aisle to Aloha Studio • Along for the Ride

aPearantly Sew • Brazen Design Studio • Casey Wiegand Art

 Craftee McGee's • cREaTe by R.E.T. • The Elephant's Trunk • EmeraldCut  Emerging Em • Five Sparrows • Food, Wine & Mod Podge • Hiya Luv Handmade  Jaclyn1423 • The Joys of Jess • Leapfrog Lane • Mandipidy

 One In The Hand • Paint Me A Picture • Plum Tree Studio

The Shine Project • Squirmy Worm Studio • Yes Teacher Crafts

I think this is so awesome to see all these shops / blogs choosing to do this. :) Be sure to visit the {handmade with purpose.} blog next week to get to know each of the shops, their causes, their story.

I have stocked & updated my shop. Again, all profit from my PRINTS & 30% of all proceeds from my original artwork on canvas will be used to purchase a Language program for our school's Resource Center. :) Thank you for your support!

Tomorrow ...

New prints available tomorrow! :)

[watermark will not show on prints]

Starting tomorrow & running the rest of the month I will be participating in {handmade with purpose.} It is a group put together by my sweet friend Lindsay [of Paint Me a Picture]. She started a blog for all those participating - so you can see all the various shops & blogs, what they're doing & what they're doing it for. It's going to be pretty cool. And I know as much as I love buying just because I like it / think it's cute / have to have it ... I like buying something 10x more if there's a story behind it & if I'm contributing towards a positive change somewhere in the world.  Think of it as a donation with benefits. :) So get ready to click & shop & support with all your heart!

This will be my 3rd year doing something for Autism Awareness Month. I have said many times - I am a terrible business person. :) I paint because I like it & that's that.  I don't like to push my work on anyone. But this is the one time a year I feel comfortable doing it - because it's not for me. This year, my fundraiser will concentrate more on PRINTS. At the moment I have 6 different prints available. All the net proceeds [everything minus the cost to print, shipping supplies & etsy fee] will be donated. In addition, 30% of all the original hand-painted artwork [the ones on canvas] will be donated. Throughout the month, if I find the time to make more artwork & prints, I will. So please visit the shop through out the month to see if there's anything new! :)

What am I raising money for? Well. This past summer we had some private speech therapy for my son Brett with one of our very favorite therapists. :) She was wonderful, the fact that she came to the house was wonderful & the program she used was as if it was written for Brett. It was language based. He has both a speech & language delay - but his speech has improved so much over time. His language on the other hand, still needs a lot of 'organization'. Sentence structure, prepositions, pronouns & all that fun stuff. As you can imagine - as a 3rd grader, having a language delay greatly affects your reading & writing among other things, like communicating with others.

This fall, when school started again, I was catching up with our Resource Teacher at school, telling her what we worked on this summer. She became interested in the program & started researching it. A month ago I spoke with her & she informed me the "Language for Learning" program was on "the list" of things for the Resource Center to buy after they had the money to do so.  I was thrilled just knowing it was in our future!!!!!  Of course I wish I had the money to just buy it.  But, $500 (+) is a lot of money. Last time I shook out my piggy bank, I was a lot short of that. So I got the idea to use my Autism Awareness Fundraiser towards that ... raising enough $ to hopefully purchase that program, which will benefit not only Brett, but other students at our school with a language delay.

So that's my {handmade with purpose}. :) Can't wait to share my new artwork with you. Throughout the month I will write a bit about the art pieces ... why I chose them. Stay tuned.

Just a Note ...

... to say I am busy painting a few new things!

April is Autism Awareness Month. Once again I will be holding a fundraiser in honor of my son Brett, starting April 2. I look forward to sharing my new work with you while drawing attention to Autism.  :)

P.S. Instead of going out on my own, I will be participating in {handmade with purpose.} ... a group of some shops & blogs joining up, but with our own separate shops & charities. Pretty cool idea by this girl (Lindsay) who helped me out last year! Strength in numbers! Can't wait! :)

4x4 Giveaway ...

4 Reasons for a Giveaway:

1) I heart February.  It is my birth month. [It was the 3rd. My little sister's was the 2nd. And my dad's was the 13th along with my husband's 1/2 birthday which is the 13th as well.  <-- That's just a fun fact. We don't really celebrate 1/2 Birthdays. :) ha!]

2) Today is supposed to get up to the high 60's [this just in: got up to 77!]. Just a week ago, I woke up & it was in the negatives. So today we're definitely celebrating [windows open!].

3) I want to [because of reasons 1, 2 & 4, but especially because of reason 3].

4) Giveaways are fun because everyone says they never win, but someone HAS to win.  So it makes someone happy & always catches someone by surprise. :)

So click here to go to the 4x4 section of my shop.  And then come back & let me know which one you'd pick ... and either where you'd put it, why you'd pick it or who you'd give it to. Giveaway will end 4 days from now [Monday @ midnight].  Oh & please if I don't know you personally or if your profile doesn't have an e-mail address listed for you, please leave your e-mail address in your comment so I know how to get a hold of you! :) Thanks!  Happy Thursday!


[*Now closed!]

Identity crisis ...

Help.  I'm having a bit of an identity crisis.  I know.  Could I be more random?  More indecisive?  Yes, I'm also the person who often asks the server at the restaurant to pick for me between my top 2 or 3 choices.  Or even [my husband's favorite] to just "surprise me".  So the fact I'm asking for help on this is not surprising.  :)

Let me know what you think [click to see a little bit bigger]. And feel free to mix & match concepts, colors, etc.  Or just pick 1 element as a jumping off point for a new idea altogether.  Whatever.  And don't worry about what matches my blog header or my Etsy shop banner ... that is all subject to change as well.

Thoughts?  Thanks.  :)

Give away [or keep] ...

Originally, it was going to be like it always is: anyone who likes & wants it can put their name in the hat.  But then ... my heart became heavy with people I knew or knew of who were going through things.  Trials & losses of all different shapes & sizes.  So I made something for them in mind ... and devised a give-away that can be given away.

So that's what this is.  A give away for the person in your life who needs a pretty sunrise on their mornings they find it hard to get out of bed  [or maybe it's for you].

This will be wrapped up & mailed where you tell it to go.  If it's to give away & it's not going to you first, I can fill out a card for you or you can give it anonymously.  And yes - you might have noticed there are 2.  :)  I'll pick 2 winners.  Because 2 is always better than 1.  [Details:  8x10 canvas with light gray background, white lettering & a hand-painted sunrise in lavender, pink, yellow & white]

To enter, just leave a comment here.  If your e-mail is not in your blog profile, be sure to leave it in your comment.  I will draw a winner Sunday night ... and will privately e-mail the 2 winners shortly after.  :)  Feel free to pass this along!

May ... YAY!

[Found here...]

Here are some things I'm hoping get done this month:

• New quotes & color combos

• More 5 x 5 heart [and new shape?] quote canvases

• New prints

• A giveaway

• Get closer to selling out of my cREaTing awareness items

• Update my blog [please pardon the dust while I play around] ;)

Sorry this is so short & sweet ... but I am elbow deep in organic soil with the hope of someday soon being knee deep in tomatoes, beans & strawberries. :)

cREaTing Awareness for Autism [2010]

cREaTe Prints: here

André Gide Quote: here

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote: here

[story of why I chose this quote: here]

Mark Twain Quote: here

Walt Whitman Quote: SOLD

[story of why I chose this quote: here]

Hodding Carter Quote: SOLD

[story of why I chose this quote: here}

Coco Chanel Quote: here

Spanish Proverb: here

Story of why I chose this quote: here

Christopher Reeve Quote: SOLD

Annette Funicello Quote: here

Today is Autism Awareness Day ... also the start of my fundraiser, cREaTing Awareness in honor of my son Brett. For the story of why I started this, read here.

All proceeds from the sales in this section of my shop [cREaTing Awareness] will go to our favorite local non-profit organization, F.I.R.E. It stands for the Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education ... and is what helps give grants to our local Catholic schools making it easier for children with special needs of all kinds [including Autism as in our case] to attend their local parish schools. It is a rarity as far as Catholic schools go [across the entire nation] & I can't imagine what we would do without it.

I have cREaTed special canvases with quotes on diversity, adversity, acceptance & hope. And for the first time I am also offering prints with the same theme. Begins today & will end when I run out of the items from that section of my shop.

I'd love to know if you have a favorite ... and why. I'll start. Mine's the André Gide quote & I'll write more about why another day. :)

Thank you for looking, purchasing and / or spreading the word. :)