Etsy Treasuries

These treasuries feature some magnificent work by some incredibly talented artists! I can't take credit for putting them together, but am so happy to be able to share them here.









http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102057
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102248
www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102249

The Christmas Tree is Decorated!

The Christmas tree is finally decorated...NOW it feels like Christmas! Of course, it looks a little bare...until Santa arrives on Christmas Eve....

Buy Handmade this Christmas

(I think) My son needs new shoes. And, my husband says he needs a new pair of slippers. So, for Christmas, I'm asking Santa for these two items. In these two cases, he'll probably have to buy retail. After that, I'm requesting that Santa turn to handmade...for all the rest of my family's gifts. And, it's a BIG family.

Please, consider handmade for your holiday gifts this year...there are so many incredible artisans all over the world!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In Rockford, Illinois, on October 17th, Rockford Woman magazine will sponsor a brunch following the Victory Lap walk for Breast Cancer.
Find an event in your town this month and attend or support in honor of all our girlfriends, sisters, mothers, aunts, or anyone else that we know that has been touched by this disease.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this year (it's parent's weekend at college!) but I've contributed some of my work for the raffle. Please find a way to support this very important cause.

Sanctuary

This is where I work and play...where I think I can go to be alone and work in peace. But, as soon as I sit down (at least at night), someone seems to always follow (namely, my beautiful 15 year old daughter, who prefers my computer to the house computer)!

At any rate, it appears somewhat messy but every time I try to organize myself I can never seem to find anything. So, I generally wind up with most things out...I can simply scan the joint and find what I need when I need it!
If you're ever in the area, stop by...we can play together!

what to do with all those boxes?!

So, you know all those boxes that we've saved forever? The ones that take up so much space? You know the ones I'm referring to. We save them, thinking "I'll recycle them by sending out jewelry when I make a sale." Until we make a sale and go to use them, but they have someone else's name or logo on them. Hmm...

I'm taking my son (my first child) to college in Washington, D.C. tomorrow. We live in Illinois...
I was surfing on etsy the other day and found this wonderful stone pendant at www.steppingstones.etsy.com
God Bless the seller as she got it to me in time for my trip!
This is how her description read: "So calming, like a worry stone, you can just reach up and rub!" How fitting. It's a bit bittersweet, this trip. I'm not really worried about him, as he's flourished into such a wonderful, capable young man. I'll just miss him terribly.