Southern Belle

STOP SOPA & PIPA!

2012-01-18T15:41:00.002-05:00

This is how my FaceBook will appear for the rest of the day & possibly until this nonsense [SOPA & PIPA] is over. Say NO! to SOPA & PIPA!!!! If you don't know what SOPA and/or PIPA is, I advise you to get informed. They are TERRIBLE & must not be passed!!!!

Stop Online Piracy Act [SOPA]: will work in conjunction with PIPA. As described by such entities as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SOPA is nothing more so than the U.S. government and private corporations black list. The breakdown of the power given to the government and private corporations:

*The U.S. Attorney General can now seek a court order that would force search engines, advertisers, DNS providers, servers, and payment processors from having any contact with allegedly infringing websites
*It will allow private corporations to create their own personal hit lists composed of websites they feel are breaking their copyright policies, ironically this doesn’t have any odd feelings of a legal mafia at all. These companies will be able to directly contact a website’s payment processors a notice to cut all off payment involvement with the targeted website. This payment processors and website of question will then have five days to act before it is simply taken down.
*Payment processors will have the power to cut off any website they work with, as long as they can provide a strong reason of why they believe this site is violating copyrights.

Protect IP Act [PIPA]: will give U.S. corporations and the government the right to seek affirmative legal action with any website that they see as enabling copyright infringement whether of U.S. origin or not. The breakdown of all that they will have the power to do:

*Force U.S. internet providers to block access to websites deemed as enablers of copyright infringement
*Seek legal action by suing search engines, blog sites, directories, or any site in general to have the black listed sites removed from their website
*Will be able to force advertising services on infringing websites, and those supporting of them, to remove them from their advertising accounts
*Companies will also have the power to sue any new websites that get started after this bill is passed, if they believe that they are not doing a good job of preventing infringement on your website

Learn how these two Acts can affect YOU. ---> http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/how-sopa-pipa-can-affect-you/ To learn more, go to http://www.google.com and click on Please Don't Censor The Web. Google has already taken part in the "Blackout", along with Tumblr and lots of other major websites. SOPA & PIPA MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!

Good Bye 2011; Hello 2012

2012-01-01T17:49:00.002-05:00

Today is the start of a new and better year. 2011 threw me a lot of curve balls. Some I was ready for, some not so much. The end of the year was one of everyone's worse nightmares; home invasion. On Dec. 27, 2011, our house was broken into and over $6,000 of items were stolen. Some items were a PS3, Xbox, iPod Touch, two laptops, and camera [that I use for photography]. Not only did these items [and more] get taken, but I had to shut down my photography shop because I no longer have any access to any prints [except for the few 4x6 prints I had printed] and no longer have a camera [except a 7mp that's seen better days]. I do online schooling so I have to have a computer. Since they took the laptop, I was forced to bring out and hook up my desktop [that's 6 years or so old]. Some other items had sentimental value to them. The fact that someone was lurking around outside while we were home, until no one was home and came into the place where I lay my head down at night is down right terrifying. Nothing [not even a security system] will ever make me feel 100% safe here. On the bright side of things, we did managed to get my PS3, some games, and iPod back yesterday. We even noticed two new accounts made on my PS3 and they had left their e-mail address on it. Smart, huh? All of that info has been turned over to the police. Fingers crossed that info leads to the no-good-low-life-scums that broke in. It's so messed up that we work for what we have and a low life scum [apparently too lazy to work for anything], takes it. This world is so messed up. But anyways, 2012 will def. be a better year. Once this is over with, I will put 2011 in a box and bury it. Never to see it again. It has been one heck of a roller-coaster ride. A ride I wish to not ever get on again. There were some positives that came out of 2011 and those I will hold close and always remember, but everything else can go in that buried box. I wish everyone the best of luck this year =]

P.S.: We won't die until we're old &/or God says it's our time! Regardless of the year.

Resolutions:
1) Get my items back
2) Reopen my photography shop
3) Exercise daily
4) Finish school
5) Live life & be happy

Oranges

2011-12-14T15:49:00.005-05:00

As I'm sitting here eating oranges, I decided to see the benefits of oranges (besides deodorizer and in foods).

For Your Skin & Health:

The flesh of an orange contains 3.1 grams of fiber
Orange zest contains 3 grams of fiber
The skin of the orange contains natural oil - perfect for moisturizing your skin & keeping it young.
Oranges contain vitamin C - fights cancer
Orange peels help lower your cholesterol and keep blood pressure at the normal rate
Oranges contain Beta-carotene - protects skin cells from getting damaged
Orange peels can be used for facial scubs and oil baths
Rubbing fresh orange peel can repel mosquitoes

For Your Home & Garden:

Orange peels keep cats, ants, and slugs away from your garden
Orange peels can kindle your house fire
Orange peels can be used as a deodorizer

According to Factoidz

Now check out this great Orange Treasury =)

Stay warm (or cool if you have weather like we have in SC)
XoXo

Horoscope

2011-12-08T15:39:00.005-05:00

I don't usually get caught up in horoscopes, but when some of the stuff is spot on, you can't help but wonder. Check out my Natal Chart Report according to my birthday & year (I'm a Gemini).

Planet Positions & Ascendant

Aspects

Sun in Gemini
With the Sun in Gemini, the urge for self-expression is strong. These natives are often just as interested in collecting information as they are in sharing it. Curious to a fault, Geminis have a finger in every pie. Solar Geminis are flexible and changeable people. Their ability to adapt quickly to new situations generally gains them plenty of friends and social contacts. Usually quite clever and witty, Geminis enjoy intellectual conversations and they are easily bored if they are not getting enough mental stimulation. Often quite adept at fitting in with others, Geminis easily adopt the moods of those around them. They are friends to people from all walks of life, and are not easily intimidated. Their ability to detach themselves can make Geminis very objective and observant, but a little difficult to get close to. Although they often have many friends, intimacy doesn't come as easily to Solar Geminis. It can be difficult to know what Gemini really feels at any given moment. They are often very impressionable and scattered. There is usually a nervous air to Geminis that can make more personal characters a little uneasy. It is not always intuitive to trust Geminis to be loyal or to keep secrets. Geminis often flit about, moving quickly and keeping busy every step of the way. Many people with this position of the Sun have gained quite a bit of knowledge in their lifetimes, but they don't often possess specialized knowledge. This is because Geminis have relatively short attention spans. Restlessness is especially common with this position of the Sun. Usually quite affable, Geminis enjoy the "light" side of life. This tendency to take things lightly makes them quite pleasing to be around; but it can be maddening to people seeking support on the deeper issues in life. Geminis are both interesting and interested. Their wit can be dazzling and their changeability dizzying. At the very least, Geminis will seldom bore you.

Short description:
She is an opportunist. She can express herself easily and learns quickly. She is welcoming and gentle. She likes travel and intellectual work.

Weaknesses: a changeable and diffuse nature. Wastes energy by doing too many things. She lacks persistence in achieving set goals.

Venus in Gemini
Venus in Gemini people will try to win over the object of their affection with witty conversation, displaying just how much they "know", and demonstrating their diverse interests. These lovers are playful -- some might even call them a tease. They are hard to pin down, and they resist relationships that promise to become too "comfortable". Even those with their Sun in Taurus or Cancer, whose outward demeanor may suggest some reserve and caution, will want their relationships to be stimulating and full of conversation with Venus in Gemini. Venus in Gemini men and women don't want to be tied or bogged down in their relationships. They appreciate lightheartedness in love. Although they are willing to talk (perhaps endlessly) about the relationship, you may get the feeling that they gloss over some of the deeper issues. In love, their tastes change often, and it can be hard to know what to expect from one day to the next (or, sometimes, from one hour to the next!). Pleasing Venus in Gemini involves supporting their need for fun and variety, showing interest in their brainpower and knowledge, and giving them space for friends and activities outside of the relationship. Let them know just how much fun you have with them. Try not to get overly miffed by Venus in Gemini's changeable, fickle ways. Remember that time spent with your lover will be exciting and invigorating.

Our Troops

2011-12-07T16:31:00.001-05:00

I came across a video via FaceBook earlier today. A girl posted a video stating how she doesn't support the troops. That the troops are either dumb and/or evil people. That they go up to little kids with AKs and shoot 'em. She goes on and on with this nonsense. This girl obviously has NO CLUE as to what she's talking about. She states "If someone could find me a bumper sticker 'I do not support the troops', I'd gladly put it on my car." ---Yeah, let's see how long she survives with that. Okay, maybe she doesn't support troops, but there is no reason whatsoever to sit there and ramble off a buncha crap that isn't true. I don't nessicarly support the war, but I DO support our troops. She wouldn't be able to say the dumb crap she says if it wasn't for our troops. How does she think she got that freedom? It just fell out of the air? NO! Our troops DIED and shed BLOOD for that freedom. People like her just need to be gathered up and dropped off in Afagan or somewhere. She clearly stated she doesn't appreciate the freedom she has and since these other contries obviously pose no threat (according to her), she'd be just fine there. You don't have to support our troops, but at least get your facts right before posting retarded videos. And here is the video:

LifeShine Designs

2011-12-01T12:18:00.001-05:00

"Beauty can be found everyday in the most unsuspecting of places, all you have to do is be open to it and look." -LifeShine

Happy December everyone! What better way to start the month off than with a feature. Today's feature comes from a friend of mine at LightShine Designs - Jewelry and Photography. She creates jewelry from vintage, steampunk, to soft and feminine. She enjoys taking ordinary pieces and turning them into one of a kind pieces of art. Any gemstones and minerals used, is personally mined by LifeShine. Not interested in jewelry? That's okay! She also does photography (focusing mostly on nature). LifeShine loves to be creative and has found that when you allow yourself to create, you open your life to all kinds of joy. Not interested in what you see on her page, but want a custom piece? She can make it for you. Just ask :) Please take the time to check her out on FaceBook, here, and "like" her page.

US Air Force Academy backtracks on Operation Christmas Child

2011-11-04T16:46:00.001-04:00

I was on my way home today and heard this story on the raido. The U.S. Air Force Academy will not be participating in Operation Christmas Child this year. Why? Because according to ONE cadet, it's promoting one religion: Christianity. This cadet complained about and even made national news. In my opinion, it's crazy. Not only do churchs participate in OCC, but public highschools and middle schools do as well. So how exactly is this promoting one religion (besides the message the churches include)? Just because it has Christian roots doesn't mean it's supporting/promoting it. Operation Christmas Child is about making one little girl or boy, that doesn't have anything, happy on Christmas. Without OCC, they wouldn't even have a Christmas. It's a charity event, not shoving the Christian religion down their throats! What about Operation Shoebox? Betcha they don't complain with that one. This is how I see it, OCC has been going on for a very long time. If this person (or anyone else) doesn't want to participate in making a child happy on Christmas, then don't participate, but don't make it to where none of the rest are able to help just because they don't want to.

Air Force Academy Backtracks on Christmas Toy Drive Because It’s Too Christian

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Shoebox

Pumpkins & Pumpkin Seeds

2011-10-31T18:24:00.005-04:00

Today is Halloween which means a lot of you have probably been carving pumpkins (or may even currently be carving), but what do you do with the seeds? Do you throw them away? Eat them? Well, I always threw mine away until I was introducted to roasted/baked seeds. I was thinking "Ew, I'm not going to try that" at first, but once I made my own batch, boy was I wrong. They're actually not that bad. If you would like to make your own:

1) Wash the seeds (yes, it's okay to eat the shell)
2) Set your oven to 325
3) Melt butter in a bowl and add salt
4) Soak seeds in butter mixture for about 5 minutes
5) Use a cookie sheet or glass dish and spred out the seeds
6) Bake for about 5-10 minutes
7) Use a fork/spoon and move the seeds around/flip them
8) Bake for another 5-10 minutes
9) Repeats steps 7-8 until golden
10) Add salt and let cool - You can also add other seasonings to give it a different taste.

Not only are they a great snack, but they are very benefitual.
1) Prevents Osteoporosis (high in zinc)
2) Natural anti-inflammatory
3) Prevents kidney stones
4) Treatment for parasites (such as tapeworms)
5) Protects against Prostate
6) Improves bladder function
7) Drepression treatment (contains L-tryptophan)
8) Great source of magnesium (1/2 cup of seeds = 92% magnesium)
9) Lowers cholesterol (contains phytosterols)
10) Prevents against cancer
The above is found on Health Diaries

While we are talking about pumpkins, I carved three of my own this year. One of which I submited to a contest, you can find it here.

Zombie Hand

Ghost in Graveyard

Sam from Trick 'r Treat - (in contest)

Hope you all have a scary Halloween and stay safe!
XoXo

Insane!!!!!

2011-10-27T15:05:00.006-04:00

I was looking through recent local news articles & came to the conclusion that there is NEVER a dull moment here in South Carolina. I would like to move to a LESS insane state, lol. Check out the following articles from this week alone:

Van Slams into BB&T - Can't see that big building?
Lady Kills 4 People For Insurance Money - Maybe you can use that money to get outta jail now.
Skeleton Found Under Couch - Well, that's one way to bury the dead.
Shoplifting Rogaine - Guess he/she really missed their hair.
Counterfeit for Apple Pies - Someone's hungry
Arrested For Hitting Woman W/ BBQ Lid - Umm, I really have no comment for this one...
Man Passes Fake $100 at Dollar Tree - Must be trying to buy the whole store.

Officer Caught W/ Teen Prostitute - Just because you have "power" doesn't mean you can get away with everything.

To accompany these crazy people, check out the treasury below.

Featured!

2011-10-20T15:48:00.002-04:00

My bloody wine glasses were featured in this great treasury.

Evil Scurdy Cats

2011-10-20T14:02:00.004-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Hope you all are having a great fall season so far. It's currently 61f here, which is a big difference considering it was 80 about two days ago. Looking forward to this cooler weather :)

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

I STILL haven't figured out my Halloween costume, lol. I've seen some photos and gotten some ideas, I just have to figure out exaclty what I want to be so I can get my outfit fixed up. I'll figure it out. NOT going to miss the best part of Halloween :D

A Boo-rific Post

2011-10-17T12:51:00.003-04:00

Q. Why did the ghost go into the bar?

A. For the Boos. :D

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Have a boorific Monday & don't get scared by too many ghosts this Halloween :)
XoXo

Zombies 101

2011-10-14T13:49:00.005-04:00

BRAAAIIINNNSSSSS!!!! What's your first thought when you hear that? Zombies, of course. But why are zombies so determind to eat the victim's brain? Perhaps it's because THEY don't even have one (we'd be in more trouble if zombies were "smart"). Maybe we think they eat only brains, well prefer brains, because that's what Hollywood has drilled into our heads. So do they REALLY prefer brains, or is it just something made up in Hollywood? Well, let's look into a little research.

When a person gets infected with the zombie virus, the virus kills their brain starting at the front & making its way to the back while skipping the core area. This area is actually kept a live by the virus. So, zombies are TECHNICALLY not brainless. Primal instintics (located in the core area) needs food to survive. This "food" can be animals, flesh, brains, etc. As a result, zombies are not just after your brains, they want EVERYTHING.

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

10 Things NOT to Do During an Outbreak
According to Zombiephiles.

10. Don't set zombies on fire. They smell terrible.
9. Don't get sentimental. Zombies won't.
8. Don't forget to shut the door behind you. Zombies often come over without calling first.
7. Don't keep zombies in the basement, even if they're your zombie family.
6. Don't try to reunite with friends/family over long distances.
5. Don't go down (basements/sewers/etc). Zombies can go down too.
4. Don't broadcast your presence. Zombies may be listening.
3. Don't stand in front of the window.
2. Don't get too creative with zombie defense.
1. Don't be "that one @$$hole" in your group.

The Witching Hour

2011-10-13T12:57:00.005-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Harpier cries "'Tis time, 'tis time."

Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
- Shakespeare

Halloween Is Near

2011-10-12T14:38:00.004-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner and I have YET to figure out what I'm going to be. I just started decorating this past weekend. Compaired to other years, I guess you can say I'm getting a semi-late start, lol. I have started my 31 days of Halloween/horror/scary movies. So far this month I've watched the following: The Haunting, Trick 'r Treat, Halloweentown, Return to Halloweentown, Halloweentown High, Hocus Pocus, Mask Maker, Dreamhouse, and The Ward. Of course, I still gotta watch all of the Halloween movies as well :) I also started watching two other shows: American Horror Story & The Secret Circle. I started watching Teen Wolf yesterday, but not too sure about it. I also carved my first pumpkin a few days ago [photo below].
I think I'm going to get one or two more to do. Speaking of Halloween, I'm still having a Halloween special on my photography page. It ends on Halloween at 11:59pm EST [click image below].Well hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!
XoXo

A Gaming Post

2011-08-25T16:11:00.002-04:00

As you all know (or may not know), I am a big COD (Call of Duty) fan. I fell in love when I saw the cake above. I've been thinking, I may attempt to make it one day, or a LittleBigPlanet one (another one of my loves). After seeing this cake, it inspired the treasury below. Enjoy

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^
XoXo

Hurricane Irene + Photography Update

2011-08-23T08:55:00.001-04:00

Apparently I have been slacking in the weather area of life. It was brought to my attention Monday that we have a HURRICANE coming directly towards us. It's supposed to reach us (SC) Saturday. I've been tracking it with a HURRICANE TRACKER and Monday it stated it would be a 1 when it reached us. However, it's since been moved up to a cat. 3. Hope it doesn't get any stronger & doesn't do anything terrible. I honestly can't remember the last hurricane we had. It's been a while. If any of you are in the path of Irene, hope you stay safe.

In other news, I have a few new prints up. Check out the photography blog to see a sneak peek of what will be added to the shop =)

Hope you all have a terrific Tuesday!
XoXo

A 2:51am post

2011-08-22T02:57:00.001-04:00

2:51am and I'm laying here in bed listening to this storm. I hope it passes soon. I'm rather sleepy, but the thunder is just too loud and the lightening is just too bright. I don't think I've seen lightening this bright in a while. I' m also testing out this blog app I just downloaded on my iTouch. Seems okay so far. Now I can blog AWAY from the computer :) Well, I hope you all had a great weekend. I spent mine being sick (still am) :/ I also have finals this week, so keep me in your thoughts/prayers :)
Xoxo

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-08-15T14:31:00.005-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Autumn & All Its Gold

2011-08-11T18:46:00.000-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

A Photographer's Love

2011-08-11T17:51:00.000-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Miscarriage = Life in Prison???

2011-07-07T15:41:00.001-04:00

I was on FaceBook yesterday & noticed a news article someone had posted. Apparently a 15 year old girl can face life in prision for a MISCARRIAGE. Yes, a miscarriage. But get this. She had a drug problem, but that doesn't have any ties with the miscarriage. "When prosecutors discovered that she had a cocaine habit – though there is no evidence that drug abuse had anything to do with the baby's death – they charged her with the "depraved-heart murder" of her child, which carries a mandatory life sentence." I can see if she were using drugs and and it caused the misscarriage, but it didn't. The system is just sooo messed up these days. You can read the full article here. I don't know about the other stories listed in the article, but this girl does not deserve jail time for this.

Sumer Time ArtFire Collection

2011-06-29T17:13:00.001-04:00

Check out the new ArtFire collection I made. All about summer =)

^^^Click image to go to collection^^^

Music that will make you slimmer!

2011-06-21T23:38:00.002-04:00

I received the newest copy of Self Magazine the other day. I picked it up for the first time today & something caught my eye: "Weight Loss Playlist: Music Proven to Slim You Down Faster". Whaattt?!?!?!? According to the magazine, "science says listening to tunes signals your muscles and mind to wake up ---it's like a jolt of caffeine, with a melody!" There's also a "to burn 150 calories" chart & a "to burn 200 calories" chart. It has songs listed, how long they are, and the speed you should walk while listening. I think I'm in need of some new tunes ;)

If you want to save one/all of the charts, just right-click & save it :)
Happy summer!

Cruise 2011

2011-06-21T13:17:00.005-04:00

Hello all! As promised, I have some photos of the cruise and two videos =) I'm currently working on a video of the Dream Works: Move It! Move It! Parade, but my video editor wasn't wanting to be nice. I will post it when I get it made though =) Since I have sooo many photos, I will provide links below [the photos] for additional photos =) I had a wonderful time. It was much bigger than the previous cruise I had went on, but I wasn't too impressed with the food on the larger boat =/ Now what I was impressed with was Burger King's food in Grand Cayman. They have what fast food food is supposed to be. It was soooo much better than the Burger King's here. Not to mention, the people were nicer than here. We were trying to figure out where the beach was & a customer happened to hear us & told us exactly how to get there. Very friendly. That would never happen here, lol. Of all the places we went to, Grand Cayman was my favorite. There's much more stuff to do there without worrying about if you're going to get left.

Funny Haiti Wood Carving - VIDEO
FlowRider - VIDEO

Cruise 2011
Mexico
Grand Cayman
Haiti
Jamaica
Dream Works: Move It! Move It!

Short update

2011-06-08T16:16:00.001-04:00

Hello bloggers! I'm still alive :D Just haven't gotten around to blogging lately. Lots of news. I finally graduated college. I now have an Associates in Arts degree :) I'm starting at a new college for my BA in Computer Science. I start in July. I also just got back from my 2nd cruise. It was lovely. I will have a post just for that soon and with photos and videos :) I hope everyone's doing well & I will be posting again real soon :)

Sony Suffered an Additional Security Breach, 24M Accounts Compromised

2011-05-03T01:06:00.000-04:00

Sony is just revealing today that hackers accessed an additional 24.6 million customer accounts. In addition, 12,700 "non-U.S." credit cards and 10,700 bank account numbers have been compromised. What was Sony saying all of this time? That they were not sure this information was taken. I believe they new the whole time. Sony is just in one big mess. Anyhow, Sony will be giving customers 30 additional days of subscription service for free. However, time will only tell how many customers will be willing to stick around and give Sony a second or third change to get things right when it comes to protecting customer data.

Read the full article here

Happy Monday

2011-05-02T12:53:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine got off to a bad start. I ended up getting sick Friday :(; a cold. I went out & bought some meds Saturday. It helped that day, but now it's just gotten worse. So I believe I'm going to have to go out and get some different kind. Colds are pure EVIL.

Besides that, it was a decent weekend. I saw Fast Five Sunday. It was alright. The middle to the end was the best parts. Also, Thursday I finally graduate :) So happy!

Oh, for all of you PS3 gamers that may be reading this, PSN is said to return May 4th & it's rumored Sony will be giving us 30 days free PS+, free game downloads, & free 30 day Qroicity. I don't know how true that is, but fingers crossed it returns as stated.

Anyhow, don't really have much of an update here. Have a great rest of the week & don't forget Mother's Day is this Sunday.

XoXo

PSN Class Action Lawsuit Filed

2011-04-27T16:53:00.001-04:00

The Rothken law firm has filed a federal class action lawsuit against Sony on behalf of "approximately 77 million" PlayStation Network users who are unable to access the PSN. According to the suit, Sony failed to maintain a proper firewall and "computer security system," "failure to properly encrypt data," "unauthorized storage and retention of data," and violation of "Payment Card Industry Data Standard(s) and rules and regulations." The suit categorizes the time between Sony learning of the problem and informing the public as an undue delay, saying that it prevented consumers from making informed decision as to "whether to change credit card numbers, close the exposed accounts, check their credit reports, or take other mitigating actions."

Read more HERE.

You can view the complaint here.

Gamer Girl

2011-04-26T14:00:00.002-04:00

I've decided to do this a little different. When I make collections or treasuries, I usually only pick items from Etsy. Well, this time I've decided to include other pages. Enjoy :) Game on my gamer girls.

Girls Pwn glass pendant - By: DMC Jewelry
Price: $7.50

Talk Nerdy to Me-2gb USB drive - By: Alana
Price: $20.00

Gamer Girl - Pac-Man Sheer Women's T-shirt - By: My Tee Spot
Price: $19.99

Gamer Girl Nail Art - By: The Finder Things1
Price: $1.99

Xbox Controller Charm Ring - By: Deadly Pretty
Price: $6.78

Weekend Update

2011-04-25T14:01:00.002-04:00

Hello :D Hope you all had a great Easter. My Easter was wonderful. Spent it at my mom's, well part of the day. I managed to get a short video of my two little brothers' Easter egg hunt :) My camera's battery died in the process, so it ended weirdly :( I did get some photos before it died though :)

In other news, I have 9 days and 6 hours before I graduate. Soooo happy. But I'm more happy of what's happening in about 33 days; cruise with the family :) Super excited.

I also got up some new prints in my Etsy Shop. I haven't gotten around to adding to my website yet. Check it out below & let me know what you think of it. It's the first worded print I've had in my shop. It comes in Sepia or black & white. I was thinking of trying typography, but I'm not too sure at the moment...

Have a great rest of the week!!!!
XoXo

Cats can swim!

2011-04-22T12:23:00.002-04:00

I was looking at the news on Yahoo! this morning and came across a photo of a cat (pictured above). It automatically caught my attention (because she looks almost identical to my cat). What got my attention even more was when I seen this line "A soaked, seaweed-covered cat shows up on a New York island..." I had to check out this story. Apparently she swam all the way from New Jersey a mile away. Even cats don't like Jersey lol (joking!). Check out this rather interesting story here.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!
XoXo

L.O.V.E

2011-04-21T13:51:00.003-04:00

"Love is like a butterfly: chase it and it will fly away. Just sit there and it will come to you."

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Butterfly Kisses

2011-04-21T13:35:00.004-04:00

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

Zombie Monday

2011-04-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Hello bloggers. Had a fabolus weekend. Attended The 4th Annual Myrtle Beach Zombie Walk on Saturday. Took 6 hours to do my make-up & costume. It was supposed to "storm", but never happened. Just rained for a good 30 minutes, but after we had walked :) If you'd like to see photos, check 'em out here. I entered two contests, but only stayed for one. I won best make-up :D My husband also got asked to help do some work on a guy's movie. Wonderful! I also found out there's going to be a zombie prom in Jan. of 2012. How wonderful.

In other news, we listed a pile of intestines on our Etsy shop a few days ago.

Since this is a zombie themed blog (not on purpose), go check out my Zombies: Eat Flesh treasury I made not long ago.

Remember: When you die, recycle your body, become a zombie.

Friday

2011-04-15T13:02:00.003-04:00

I got on Etsy today & got in the face with bright yellow! I don't care for yellow, but I do have to say the front page treasury is pretty. Reminds me of spring time and summer :)

^^^Click image to enlarge.^^^

Tomorrow is the Zombie Walk here. It is supposed to storm, but I hear we walk rain or shine. Let's hope it doesn't mess up our make-up and costumes!

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway. You can win a 4x6 print.

I also joined 2 great Etsy Teams yesterday :D

Hope you all have a great weekend!

XoXo

Childhood Games

2011-04-14T13:59:00.005-04:00

I was going to save this collection 'till Friday for "Favorite Friday", but I was brought back to my gaming childhood days last night. My husband has a thing (I don't remember what it's called) on his computer where you can play SNES games. It had Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and so on. While I played NES more than SNES, I still remember those games like it was yesterday. One game that I remember playing hours on end was Fester's Quest. Man oh man what I would do to have that game back. I remember waking up before school and playing Super Mario Bros 3 with my dad. I told my husband I would love to have a NES again. His response was "Why? You can play 'em on the computer". That may be true, but nothing compares to holding that controller in your hand and playing on that system. So now I present you with some of my favorite NES games. Enjoy.

Festers Quest Nintendo Desk Clock by CAE Clocks
Price: $20.00

NES Mouse Pad - Donkey Kong by 8 Bit Memory
Price: $14.99

Duck Hunt Pin Collection by Chic Geek Boutique
Price: $20.00

Triforce Symbol from Legend of Zelda Ring by Cynical Pink
Price: $5.00

STUD EARRINGS Nintendo games cartridge by The Clay Collection
Price: $20.00

Nintendo Wall Street Kid Cartridge Cloc by Geek Gear
Price: $17.99

Ms Pac Man Bracelet by Stitch Radical
Price: $12.00

Mike Tyson's Punch Out Duct Tape Wallet by Custom Wallets
Price: $10.00

Dr. Mario Pill Rattles - Set of 3 by Seventy Two Stitches
Price: $24.00

Mario Coaster Set by Rainbow Kid Shop
Price: $18.00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T13:02:00.002-04:00

First Ever Giveaway!!!

2011-04-12T16:29:00.002-04:00

I am hosting a giveaway. The winner will receive one 4x6 of any print in my shop. There are 8 ways to enter with a total of 16 entries. That's 16 chances to win!

Rules:

1) Must follow this blog (mandatory)

2) Tweet about this +1 entry (include the tweet link)

3) Follow me on twitter +1 entry (include your Twitter name)

4) Blog about this +3 entries (include the blog link)

5) Favorite item in my shop & why? +2 entries

6) Heart my shop on Etsy +1 (leave your Etsy name)

7) Heart my other two shops: Black Water FX and Tie Me Up +2 entries (leave your Etsy name)

8) Get others to participate + 5 entries (the person must say in a comment that you told them about this)

Please leave each entry in separate comments (example: if you blog about this, leave 3 seperate comments stating you did). Make sure you have your e-mail address with each entry as well. #2-#8 are optional, but #1 is required. Deadline April 30, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST.

When you die, recycle your body, become a zombie

2011-04-12T10:05:00.004-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Lots of Updates

2011-04-11T10:31:00.003-04:00

Yawn, stretch, yawn. Good morning bloggers. Hope everyone's day has gotten off to a good start. I have a lot of updates to share with you all :) First off, outside of Etsy, I'm also a writer (poetry). I found this amazing website back in 2008 called Helium. I hadn't been on there in about a year, so I decided to return last night. I submited a few poems & fixed up my profile. Well, I just checked my article stats and a poem I submited last night is first out of 13. 13 isn't a whole lot, but being first, well, you just can't get better than that :) If you have Helium, feel free to let me know & I will add you Here is my Helium profile.

On to more good news, we have listed more items in the Black Water FX shop. The first item is a blue eyed bloody zombie skull. He is up for grabs for $20.99. Our second new item is a pair of small bloody skeleton hands magnet. They can be yours for $3.99.

Here is the best news of all. We receieved a custom item request for Black Water FX a few days ago. A (jewlery) student in Austrila wants us to help her with her final project by making items to go on her rings and necklaces. She's told us she likes the bloody eyeballs and the pile of flesh from our shop. She's also said she needs 10-15 items. We will be working with her until October. I'm excited :D This is our first *big* project.

I am also working on a item for my shop: Tie Me Up Apparel. The item isn't complete, but I will say it has to do with pixies & the main color is purple.

Oh, before I forget, the area I'm from (er, near) is hosting their 4th annual Zombie Walk this Saturday. I just found out this past Saturday. I'm stoaked. It's supposed to be a hour long walk with the possibility of a Thriller dance. There will also be costume contests (I'm so entering!), worst tattoo contests, & piercing contests. I have less than a week to prepare.

On to drink more vanilla caramel latte. Have a marvioulus Monday!
XoXo

Favorite Friday

2011-04-08T13:41:00.004-04:00

As you all know (or may not know), I love video games. I decided to make this post of my top 10 (in no particular order) favorite gaming items from Etsy. Since I was brought up on the NES, these will most likely be "old school". Don't forget to check out the videos at the end ;) Enjoy =)

iPhone Docking Station NES Controller by: Geekish Modifications
Price: $31.99

NES Tetris 1TB Hard Drive by: 8 Bit Memory
Price: $169.99

Legend of Zelda Nintendo Fabric Make-up Bag / Pouch by: Krafty Minds
Price: $7.99

GameCube Desktop Organizer by: Green Cub
Price: $49.00

MARIO 16 bit Nintendo Character Cushion by: The Comfy Geek
Price: $30.00

Yoshi Egg Belly Ring by: Rainbow Kid Shop
Price: $12.00

Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt Clutch by: Sugar Shox Crafts
Price: $35.00

Nintendo Controller Glitter Picture by: Glitter Mortis
Price: $45.00

Pac Man Bots by: William Dohman
Price: $70.00

Legend of Zelda: Link Graphic T-Shirt by: Eagle Eye Designs
Price: $18.00

Hope you enjoyed my top 10 & I hope you all have a fabulous Friday & a wonderful weekend ^.^

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

Monday, Monday, Monday...

2011-04-04T12:48:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday everyone :D Hope everyone had a great weekend. I did :D Today is our 2 year anniversary so we celebrated on Saturday. We went to Olive Garden, which is also where we had our first date, & went and saw Insidious. That is one good movie. I loved it. If you like horror movies, go watch it. It's a must.

I also had some what of a make over. My hair is black so I put purple streaks in it & put blue underneath. The blue doesn't really show up great in photos though =/

We also sold a eyeball (on eBay) & a bloody tote (on Etsy) last week. Makes you wonder what people are doing looking at this stuff this time of year, lol. I also found this great site, Statsy. It showed me our most loved item on Etsy: bloody ripped out eyeball. What is your favorite item from our shop?

^^^Click image to enlarge^^^

Have a great Monday!
XoXo

Fool's Friday

2011-04-01T13:30:00.001-04:00

Bloggers, I come to you with ~~bad~~ terrible news. I'm closing my Etsy shops & no longer blogging. I cannot stand Etsy anymore & I am tired of blogging.......JUST KIDDING!!! April Fools ^.^ :)) My shops are NOT closing & I will always blog =)

Today is April 1, aka April Fools. A day where some of us can act normal :D *lol* I hope every has a great April Fools. Try not to make your pranks TOO hurtful =)

On another note, I applied for a new school. My original plans were to graduate this May & then start photography school. I didn't realize how expensive they are at the moment, and time's running out. I decided to graduate in May & then start on finishing my Networking degree. Hopefully it all works out :)

Have a wonderful Friday & weekend!

XoXo

It's a Southern Thang

2011-03-31T15:01:00.004-04:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T13:25:00.004-04:00

Top 10 Gadgets to Lose or Keep

2011-03-29T13:41:00.001-04:00

These are the top gadgets you should lose/keep according to Yahoo! Finance.

1) Desktop Computer - LOSE IT

Get a laptop.

2) High-speed Internet @ Home - KEEP IT

3) Cable TV - DEPENDS

For sports, keep it. Otherwise get NetFlix, Hulu Plus, ect..

4) Point-And-Shoot Camera - LOSE IT

It takes better photos than a smartphone, but it may not always be with you. A smartphone will.

5) Camcorder - LOSE IT

Smartphones can capture video and new digital S.L.R. cameras can record HD video.

6) USB Thumb Drive - LOSE IT

File sharing does not require hardware anymore. In almost any case you can think of, you can move files around digitally via the Internet.

7) Digital Music Player - LOSE IT

Smartphones have music players now.

8) Alarm Clock - KEEP IT

9) GPS Unit - LOSE IT

Smartphones can do the same thing.

10) BOOKS - KEEP IT

News Worthy Monday

2011-03-28T13:35:00.003-04:00

Good evening bloggers! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I did. I saw Sucker Punch yesterday. It was great, except the ending could have been better. Saturday I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid Part 2. That was pretty funny. Before I get into what I originally came to blog about, I just want to say that Japan needs all the prayers/support that they can get right now. They just had ANOTHER earthquake over the weekend it was a 6.something. They were under a 0.5m tsunami watch, but it was lifted. If you pray, just pause & say a little prayer for them. If you don't pray, please keep them in your thoughts. Also, please continue to keep the 6 month old in your thoughts/prayers. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you can find out here. Now onto the original post: 10 Weird Traffic Laws (according to Yahoo! News)

10.
In Kansas, it is illegal to screech your tires. That's a state law, but there are also local ordinances to back it up. Good thing that's not a law here.
Penalty: a fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment up to 30 days

9.
In Eureka, California, it is against the law to sleep in any public space. That might make you think park bench, but they go so far as to add that you are not to sleep on any sidewalk, alley or street.
Penalty: classified as a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail

8.
In Fort Thomas, Kentucky, it is illegal for your pet to “molest” a vehicle. Yes, that is the actual, unfortunate legal term used in the city ordinance for “animal-related nuisance.”
Penalty: a fine of up to $500

7.
In South Berwick, Maine, it is against the law for you park in front of Dunkin Donuts. You will be ticketed. Specifically, the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street “to a point of 25 feet south.”
Penalty: a fine of up to $175 and/or jail time of up to 30 days

6.
In Rockville, Maryland it’s illegal to swear within earshot of other people, whether you’re on a street, sidewalk or highway.
Penalty: a fine up to $100 and/or jail time up to 90 day

5.
In Minnetonka, Minnesota, it is considered a public nuisance, and therefore illegal for “a truck or other vehicle whose wheels or tires deposit mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or other material on any street or highway.” If that were the law here, half of the county would be in trouble at times, ha.
Penalty: All violations of the Minnetonka code are subject to fines up to $2,000 but a spokesperson for the city said the city “attempts several other measures to mitigate the situation before pursuing misdemeanor charges.”

4.
In Sag Harbor, New York, it is illegal to take your clothes off in your car. Example: you have to be wearing a bathing suit in public and you can’t disrobe on the street or in your car or in any public place.
Penalty: a fine of up to $100 and/or jail time up to three months

3.
Roller skating may seem like a harmless hobby but if you do it in the street in Canton, Ohio (other than crossing the street, of course) — that’s illegal
Penalty: a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail

2.
In Ohio, it’s illegal to leave a vehicle door open on the side of traffic, pedestrians or bicycles “for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.”
Penalty: a fine of $90 and possible jail time

1.
In Hilton Head, South Carolina, it is illegal to store trash in your car. I live in SC & didn't even know that.
Penalty: a fine of up to $500 and/or jail time of up to 30 days.

Finally Friday

2011-03-25T14:27:00.002-04:00

Well, I couldn't think of a theme for today, so I'm just gonna call it Finally Friday =) Don't forget to check out my new Etsy team I made: Blogger's Heaven. I just made it yesterday & already have some active members. How awesome. Also, you'll notice a blog rating on the right side. You can click it & rate/review my blog. Check out this blog post for more info on it. Thirdly, don't forget to check out my photography website: KDN Designs. I've been doing some update to it.

On a more seriouse note, a friend on FaceBook told me the other day that her 6 month old neice has a disease that eats at your muscles (I forget what it's called). She's only 6 months old & shouldn't have to go through that. Please keep her in your thoughts/prayers.

On that note, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
XoXo

New Etsy Team!

2011-03-24T16:25:00.001-04:00

If you're part of the Etsy community, you've noticed that there is no longer a Promotional Forum. I wasn't very happy when I found out. I used that forum for blog promotions, finding other bloggers, checking out others shops, etc... I noticed that now, the promotions are "teams". I've looked at some & havn't found any with a lot of traffic. Well, I decided to make my own team, Blogger's Heaven. I hope this team generates more blog traffic for everyone. In this team, you can post your blogs, blog buttons, blog giveaways, blog features, etc... Please check it out by clicking the image below. I hope you join & enjoy it :-)

Ahoy matey! Why is all the rum gone?

2011-03-24T13:55:00.004-04:00

Ahoy, enjoy these treasuries full o' pirate items. Me parrot concurs. =)

A Pirate's Life For Me

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Why is All the Rum Gone?

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T23:32:00.000-04:00

I will be doing Wordless Wednesday every week, so keep checking back =)

Rate Me =)

2011-03-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

Good evening bloggers, just letting you all know that you can now rate this blog. If you look in the upper right side, you'll see a rating icon/image. I signed up on Blogged and my blog was rated 7.5 out of 10. Not bad I'd say. :) You can rate it by clicking here & click on Review This Blog. If you submit a review (& I hope you do), please keep the following four things in mind:

Do not write personal attacks on the author or other users. Please focus your critique on the just the blog.
Do not promote a site in your review.
Please don't use curse words in your review.
Do not write incentive reviews. The "I gave you a 10, now you do the same" type of reviews will be not be accepted.

Blogged can delete or edit any comments that are abusive, considered spam, use foul language or are off-topic.

With that being said, please review/comment this blog on the link.

Sales & updates

2011-03-22T14:35:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was pretty good. We went to our 3rd sale this past Saturday. We found tons of stuff, including TONS of comics. Let's just say one of those comics will pay for everything we bought that day :-) If you're interested in comics, let me know & I'll contact you. Later that night (or Sunday), I ordered us some business cards & made a website for us. Be sure to check it out: Horry County Pickers & let me know what you think of it :) Aside from sales, I ended up seeing Red Riding Hood & Paul. I had a HORRIBLE experience at Red Riding Hood, but the movie was WONDERFUL. Why was the experience horrible? Click here to find out. Paul was a cute movie =)

As I was typing this, I made THREE sales on Etsy. It was from the same person, but still three sales. Talk about making a girl's day :D

I've also updated my photography website. Check it out here & let me know what you think.

XoXo

Horrible Movie Experience

2011-03-22T14:22:00.003-04:00

I had a HORRIBLE experience at Red Riding Hood. Why was the experience horrible? Well, when we got there, it was empty. Then a few people came in and there were a good bit there, but it was far from being full. Well, there were two seats open beside me. Then these two girls came and sat beside me. Out of all of the other empty seats, they had to get directly beside me. So I moved down one. I was already agitated at that & ANOTHER girl sat beside. I was like "Are you freakin' serious?" I was beyond ill. Not only did they sit directly beside me when there were tons of other seats, but they would not shut up. By now, the movie had already started. So I moved to a completely different row. I figured I could enjoy my movie now. Oh no. The dumb kids in the very top would not shut up & talking ACROSS the theater. I came VERY close to leaving. If movies weren't $8 a person, I would have got up and left. Eventually, the security guard kept having to come in until the movie was over. I couldn't enjoy the first 10 minutes of the movie because of these stupid kids. Should have been rated R, then I wouldn't have had the problem. Needless to say, the movie was WONDERFUL. I could almost watch it again. Kids, if you're going to the movies learn how to shut the heck up!

Night Photos + Awesome Song

2011-03-18T15:50:00.001-04:00

Not long ago, I had to buy a new camera. Since I was certain that I wanted to go into the photography/visual arts field, I decided I needed a fancyer camera as well. My original camera was a pink Sanyo S770 digital camera. 7.1 mega pixels with 3x optical zoom. For $70, it was a nice camera. My current camera is a Canon PowerShot SX30-IS with 14.1mp and 35x optical zoom. I love this camera. However, there's one thing I have to figure out & that's how to take night photos. On my old camera, there's a "scene" button & it has night in there. On the new one, I haven't found anything about night photos. I did find one thing on YouTube, but it didn't work. If a $70 camera has night photos, I'm sure a $400 camera has one too. If anyone knows how to do night photos with this camera, PLEASE let me know =) Also, I'm still open to photos for my "worded prints" section. As of right now, it's free, but you must provide the photo. Just leave a message in the comments section with a way to contact you.

P.S.: The pink camera is up for sale if interested. The only thing wrong is one TINY (and I mean tiny) dot shows up on the screen sometimes. Not sure if it shows in photos or not (I've never seen it).

Worded Prints

2011-03-17T04:02:00.000-04:00

I've decided to mess around with some worded prints so that I can have a bigger show of examples. I've started on adding words to some of my personal photos...just for starters. Here are two of them. What do you think? To see more, click here. If you have any photo(s) you want to send me to have words added on it, feel free. It's currently free as this is just to get more in my example folder/gallery & for practice.

I was also messing around with a photo of one of my dogs. What do you think?

P.S.: Happy St. Patrick's Day!

P.S.S: Continue to keep our brothers & sisters in Japan in your thoughts/prayers.

Five Weird But Wonderful Homes

2011-03-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

According to Yahoo! Real Estate

Bioscleave House Life Extending Villa

Location: East Hampton, NY
Cost: $4 million
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sq. ft: 3,700
Claim to Fame: The first U.S. example of reversible destiny architecture, or “architecture against death”
About: This house was designed with the goal that the occupants be disoriented, uncomfortable, and thrown off balance, because, the thought goes, when you get comfortable, death is not far behind. The thinkers behind this “life-affirming environment” were the artist-poet-architect/ husband-and-wife team Arakawa and Madeline Gins. This “life-affirming” was part of their plan to cheat the fate that awaits everyone else. Alas, Arakawa died in May, 2010. Built as an extension to a 1964 A-frame house based on principles of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, Bioscleave House also comes with its own set of directions for use.

The Dune House

Location: Atlantic Beach, FL
Cost: $1.4 million
Bed: 2
Bath: 2
Sq. ft: 1,500
Claim to Fame: It’s a disco-era house in a dune!
About: This design by architect William Morgan is ensconced within the earth, forming two double-height apartments carved into a sand dune. The apartments are entered at street level and a common stair leads to the upper floor’s entryway, bedroom and bath. On the main lower floor, the living, dining and kitchen with mostly built-in furniture open oceanside to a covered terrace at beach level. The building was constructed in 1975 using swimming pool technology, a gunite-concrete shell anchored to a cast concrete floor. It’s also one of the original green roofs, as it’s topped by a mantle of earth stabilized by native landscaping which helps to maintain a 70-degree temperature inside.

Mystery Castle

Location: Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Not on the market
Bed: n/a
Bath: n/a
Sq. ft: n/a
Claim to Fame: Built by a man who abandoned his family and disappeared after learning he had tuberculosis
About: Boyce Luther Gulley left his Seattle office in 1927 and was not heard of until 3 years later in the hills south of Phoenix. There he spent the last 15 years of his life creating a three-story, 18-room mansion crenellated parapets, turrets, and a tower. Gulley constructed the castle from found and cheap materials like native stone and adobe bound by a mortar of sand, cement, calcium, and goat's milk. The house’s curious features include petroglyphs, automobile parts, Depression glass dishes as transoms, windows made from Gulley’s Stutz Bearcat, and the Bearcat’s windshield as a wall panel. Gulley built stairs over a boulder so as not to disturb the landscape, and for the same reason he hauled natural materials from over a mile away. The wife and daughter he abandoned moved in after Gulley’s death in 1945, and began conducting tours. Daughter Mary Lou Gulley just died herself in November 2010.

Coral Castle

Location: Miami, FL
Cost: Not on the market
Bed: n/a
Bath: n/a
Sq. ft: n/a
Claim to Fame: Billy Idol’s 1986 hit “Sweet Sixteen” was a tribute to the Coral Castle and its creator, and the video was shot at the Castle.
About: Ed Leedskalnin spent 28 years secretly working alone, mostly at night, with just hand tools to move 1100 tons of coral to construct this monument to the woman who jilted him the night before their wedding. It remains a mystery how he accomplished the feat. Since no one ever witnessed the construction, some have speculated that Leedskalnin had supernatural powers. Leedskalnin himself claimed to know the secrets used to build the ancient Pyramids. Coral Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is now a museum listed under its original name of Rock Gate Park.

Hammargren Home of Nevada History

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: Not on the market
Bed: n/a
Bath: n/a
Sq. ft: n/a
Claim to Fame: Robin Leach called it “the most interesting home in the world.”
About: This residence is actually three houses that form a compound of curiosities. The first is a planetarium and celestial observatory in one-third scale model of a Mayan pyramid, the center house is a full-scale model replica of the “House of the Governor” at a Mayan site at Uxmal, and the third house is a “Mayan Revival Style” architecture inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs in Hollywood. The man living in Mayan style is Dr. Lonnie Hammargren, a neurosurgeon, former Nevada Lieutenant Governor and Honorary Consul to Belize. The houses contain thousands of oddities from 65 years of collecting unusual things like an iron lung, a Batmobile, a Liberace staircase and Bugsy Siegel's toilet, even a fancy Easter egg entryway that Liberace once used for an Easter performance. Also on the premises are an Apollo Spacecraft Capsule, a Space Shuttle replica, and a Stonehenge reproduction.
Jason Wakefield of Top Ten Real Estate Deals explains why he ranked this one the weirdest: "Just beyond Evel Knievel's Messerschmitt motorcyle under the garage, the doctor has an authentic Egyptian tomb where he is to be buried and become part of the museum. The museum features a full pulley system for opening and closing the sarcophagus. Other unique characteristics include a Clark Gable dummy jumping out of a plane over an authentic "Welcome to Reno" sign, a dolphin tank from the original MGM casino, and if you look out the right window you will see the back of a Space Shuttle replica. The home is as unique as the Nevada history it exemplifies."

These are some very....interesting houses. However, you figure for millions they would have more than 2-3 rooms and bathrooms ^.^

Japan's Earthquake, Hawaii's Tsunami

2011-03-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

Yesterday's Posting: Rain, duckies in scuba gear, photography, & food.

As I was on my way to bed last night, something on the news caught my eye. Japan's earthquake & tsunami. I read about it around 3am (I think). I woke up between 7:30am & 8am and saw that it was a 8.9 quake, their most powerful earthquake to hit in recorded history. I've been checking CNN's website about it every so often & it's just terrible. I was watching a video early this morning of Japan. I was particularly watching this one building & I was watching the water get higher and higher to this window on the building. Then I happen to notice this bridge like road with about 3 or 4 cars on it (not moving). Then I saw this man run from one side of the road to the other side. The water was so high, if he reached over, he could touch it. I can only imagine the thoughts going through his head. It is said that "200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 627 people were injured." Not only was Japan hit, but Hawaii was hit by a tsunami. "The first impact in Hawaii was felt shortly after 3:07 a.m. (8:07 a.m. ET), according to Hawaii State Civil Defense, which issued a tsunami warning. The first waves hit Hawaii about 9 a.m. EST. A tsunami about 7 feet high was recorded on Maui and a wave at least 3 feet high was recorded on Oahu and Kauai." The entire West Coast of the US was on tsunami alert as well. "In California, tsunami wave heights of 7 feet were predicted at Port San Luis Harbor and 4 feet in Morro Bay. Santa Monica could see 2.8 feet". I can't imagine experiencing something like this & I hope I never do. Times like this make you realize our truly lucky you are that you didn't have to go through this. I have posted links below of different stories of the event, some of them have video. Let's keep these families in our prayers. They really need it.

Hundreds Killed in Tsunami After 8.9 Japan Quake
Widespread Destruction from Japan Earthquake, Tsunamis - with video
American in Japan: Quake 'Very Scary' - with video
U.S. Appears to Escape Major Tsunami - with video
Murrells Inlet, SC Couple Impacted by Japan Earthquake
Have Family or Friends in Hawaii or Japan?

Rain, duckies in scuba gear, photography, & food

2011-03-10T15:04:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone's have a great day! Not so much here. Why? One word: rain. Don't you hate it when it rains? I do. I makes me so unmotivated & I just wanna stay in bed and sleep all day. The only time I like the rain is at night when I'm in bed. I sleep soooo good when it's raining. When Mother Nature decides to turn the water off, my day will get better :D. Or else I might see some duckies float by in scuba gear ^.^ Oh wait, I think I see one....

As promised, I have posted up the Butterfinger Cake recipe. I've been thinking about making videos whenever I bake something. Please go to the food blog & let me know if it's a good idea or not. I also finally finished putting up prints on my website yesterday. I haven't gotten them on Etsy yet, but if you want to see them go to KDN Designs. Let me know what you think =) It would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great day!
XoXo

Weekend, life, food

2011-03-07T15:42:00.003-05:00

Hello bloggers! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I had a pretty good weekend myself. Friday, we went to apply for passports for our cruise in May. While we were in the post office, a guy walked in and said he got his passport in 25 days. I was like "wow" considering they take 4-6 weeks. That gave me a little hope of getting it early. Just a little ^_^ Saturday, my brother in-law, hubby, & I got up at 7:30am and went yard selling. Found some neat stuff at amazing prices. The hubby & I got two oil lamps for $2.50 each. They also have blue oil in them which made me want to keep them even more. The blue oil makes them VERY pretty & who can beat $2.50 for a oil lamp? The hubby got some figurings for his collection. He got a great deal on those as well. I'll have photos posted at the end of the blog =)

On a more serious note, I kind of need some advice. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably know that my parents have been divoiced for about 7 years. I (along with my brother) went through a tough time with it in 2009. I won't go back into details about it, but if you must know, just leave a comment & I'll send you my post about it. I was on FaceBook last week & noticed my step-sister had posted some new photos. I decided to check them out, not knowing it would change my mood. I saw a lot of photos with her and her friends....& my dad in them. For a moment, I thought to myself "That should be me there". Was it wrong of me to think that? Was it selfish of me? I don't know, but after everything that's happened in the past 2 years, I just couldn't bring myself to not think that. I mean, what are you supposed to think when your father backed out of your wedding & didn't even stay for photos or reception? Or when he didn't even show up for his son's highschool graduation because he "forgot"? Or when he stops visiting & the phone calls stop coming. Or when everyone calls you on your birthday, but you never get that one call from him? I'll admit, I was pretty down on my 22nd birthday. Everyone called me; my mom, step-dad, other family, but the one person I was hoping to hear from, never called. I figured, okay, maybe he'll call the next day. Never happened. I waited a week for his phone call & it never came. I just don't know anymore. Maybe my husband has been right all along. Maybe he likes his current family more than us. I know I shouldn't think that, but after everything, I have nothing else to think. I just don't know anymore. I've given up him ever contacting us. He knows our numbers & where we live, but there has been no contact in over 2 years. It kills me & I know it bugs my brother to a certain point, even though he'll deny it. I try to keep a positive outlook & hope that one day, I might just hear from him, or better yet, see him. But everytime I see or hear something that triggers and memory of my dad, it just brings me down. It makes me teary eyed knowing that I will most likely never see or hear from my dad. I shouldn't think it, but what else am I suppose to think? Not only did seeing those photos trigger all of this, but my step-sister left my brother a comment telling him he should call his dad. Seriously? After what happened at his graduation, I HIGHLY doubt my brother should be the one calling. Don't you think my dad should be the one calling? I do. Well, my brother sent her a message & told her our dad hasn't tried contacting him in over two years & he wasn't going to call. You know what? I don't blame my brother at all. I don't know my dad's number, so I told my step-sister to tell my dad to call me a while back. Guess what? It NEVER happened. That phone call I wanted, never happened. That's why her comment bugged me so much. He couldn't call me when I asked for him to, so what makes them think my brother's going to?......There's so much more I can say to all of this, but I'd be here all day, if not longer. This has just been bothering me ever since my step-sister left that comment. If you've read this, I appreciate it. I really do. It means a lot that you've made it this far in my post.

On to a happy note, I made a Butterfinge Cake last night =) I'll try to get the reciepe posted on my food blog this week. If you like butterfingers & haven't tried this, it's a MUST =)

Here are the photos I promised =)

Photos & Graveyards

2011-02-26T18:48:00.003-05:00

Today was such a pretty day. It felt really nice out as well. Me and the hubby went to IHOP & on the way home, I decided I wanted to take some photos. I think I got some really pretty photos. The best part is these places I took photos at are all walking distances from where I live. I even found some bamboo! I'm thinking about putting some of them on Etsy. Check out the photos & let me know what you think.

Also, I went to a graveyard down the road from my house. It's a small graveyard & I think there might be confed. soliders buried there. There's a few graves with the flags on it and theres this big tree that has a small torn American flag just laying there. However, I don't think I'll be going back at night anytime soon. It has a road that circles around it. Well, as we go to the backside, the car cut completely off; lights & all. Creepy. As we were leaving, I took a photo of where it happened & I got a TON of orbs in it. Cameras are suppose to filter stuff like that out, but it wasn't the case here. That graveyard is filled with orbs. Also, we noticed the windshield has smudges on it on the inside when we left; it wasn't like that when we got there. I think we disturbed some spirits tonight...

P.S: The photos are way clearer than they are on the blog. I don't know why tinypic.com messed em up like that.

Weekend Update

2011-02-07T13:54:00.001-05:00

The last few days have been crazy. There have been at least 3 deaths that I know of. First, someone in my husband's family died. Then I found out that a band teacher from the highschool I graduated from died as well & that same day someone in my mom's manager's family died. They say death comes in threes, but this is crazy. Please keep these families in your thoughts/prayers.

On the bright side of news, I got a new laptop and camera over the weekend. If anyone needs a laptop, I have one for sale. Just contact me for details. I had to buy a new camera because my old one isn't HD and it was only 7mp. It also has a tiny dot in the screen that sometimes shows up in photos (you can't hardly notice it in the photos). The old one was only $70-$80. This new one cost me $350, but it's worth every penny. I bought a Canon PoweShot. It records in HD, 14.1mp, and has 35x zoom. Now I can finally get some decent photos for my shops =) If anyone's interested in a 7mp camera, I'm selling it as well. The laptop I got looks like this & the camera looks like this. I also picked up LittleBigPlanet 2. Awesome game.

How was everyone else's weekend?

XoXo

Sale!!!!

2011-02-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

Only at Tie Me Up Apparel

Business Card Exchange

2011-01-27T14:26:00.004-05:00

To promote our shops even more, I'm starting a business-card-exchange. Here's how it works. I'll send you X amount of my business cards & you'll send me X amount of yours. Along with my card, I'll include your card in packages of items I sell on Etsy (& other places). How many you want to send is totally up to you. If you want to join in, leave a e-mail address below so that I can contact you with more details. I think this will be a great way to get our shops to a bigger audience. If you don't have any business cards, head on over to VistaPrint.com They are awesome. I got 250 cards for free. All I paid was $3 (and some change) for shipping. I had 21 day shipping & it got here in about a week.

1/28/2011: I forgot to mention that you will also be featured on my blog. Double promo!!!

Save up to 80% on custom printed products at Vistaprint. Order today!

How to turn your faucet into a water fountain

2011-01-26T16:06:00.002-05:00

I got this article in my e-mail a few days ago. Ever wanted a glass of water & didn't want to dirty any glasses? Simply turn your faucet into a water fountain! Below is the full article.

When it comes to drinking water, your family's thirst is never-ending. And so is the stack of used glasses sitting by the side of the sink. Stop dirtying needless dishes by turning your kitchen faucet into a water fountain instead with the Tapi Squeeze Drink Fountain from Dreamfarm. The Tapi attaches easily to almost any faucet with a straight spout, creating a fun and hygienic way for family members and guests to quickly get a sip of water. To use, turn on the faucet and squeeze the fountain; a stream of water instantly appears. The product is made of water-safe rubber that won't affect the taste of the water and is available in 10 vibrant colors to fit any decor. When necessary, the Tapi can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Tap into a new way to quench your thirst.

What a surprise!

2011-01-25T13:15:00.002-05:00

Last night, as I was on my way to bed, I decided to check in on Etsy. Who knew we had a wonderful surprise awaiting us there. We had received a Etsy Team invite. Not just any team, but an invite from Etsy Massacre. This team is for the ones that make movie inspired horror items. Since we (Black Water FX) live to make items like that, I gladly accepted the invite. I hope that by being on this team, it will get our shop more views & more sells. I've never been on a team, so this is awesome!
Etsy Massacre Team
Etsy Massacre Blog

Mini Update

2011-01-18T13:54:00.002-05:00

Hello blog world. I haven't blogged in a while. School's started back, so I've been busy. I did managed to get some new items in my shop. I added some rings & a Valentine's Day item. Check 'em out & let me know what you think of 'em. Also, I sold my first pair of earrings :D I was surprised considering the photo wasn't that great. In fact, I thought it was the worse photo out of all of my items. But I'm happy it sold :) I also redid my blog :D

I'm going to try to start the Giveaway section back up & hopefully find some time to blog more. Oh, before I forget, I have a YouTube channel. Please check it out, subscribe, & check out/comment on our videos. I'm trying to become a full partner with YouTube & we're currently just a basic partner. I'll also subscribe back to ya.

In other news, I was looking at a news paper online and came across this article. Apparently, a 14 year old killed two family members & injured one. If that wasn't messed up enough, the kid was given the gun for his 14th birthday. What the heck. Since when do we give our CHILDREN guns for their birthday? The article doesn't say this, but even if it was for hunting, that's something you keep locked up and away from the kid.

Don't forget to check out the food blog for a new daily recipe =)

XoXo

First Post of the Year

2011-01-05T13:32:00.002-05:00

Hello all :) I hope everyone is having a great day & hope your new year is going wonderful. Did you make any resolutions? I did. One of mine was to cut back on soda, so far, so good. I haven't had any since Sunday & I'm not even craving any! I'd say that's a good sign ;) Another resolution is to finish college on time. I start my last classes Monday. I'm taking Astronomy & State & Government. Hopefully, I won't mess up & will graduate when I'm suppose to :) Then, it's off to look for a school that offers a degree in digital arts or photography. Not sure which one yet. I guess I'll cross that bridge when it gets here. Although it wasn't on my resolution list, I do want to blog more. I was going to blog a few days ago, but I just haven't been motivated. Maybe I can find some motivation & blog more :) I'm not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but my banner business is no longer called Banner-Mart. I've changed it to KDN Designs. If I decide on photography, the name fits. If I decided on banners, the name still fits. I still have my website, but it's kinda under construction. I need to find time sometime & get it updated. Also, I still have few Christmas/end of the year Etsy features to get posted. I will be working all week to get them posted. If you were supposed to be featured, I apologize for the delay.

What Killed Thousands Of Blackbirds In Arkansas?
A gaming friend told me about this & it is just crazy. 2,000 blackbirds at once? Wow!

I also discovered something very interesting a few days ago. I was watching HGTV & found out they are giving away a HGTC Dream Home. They were showing the inside of the house & it just AMAZING. It is so pretty. You can enter the giveaway twice a day through February 18, 2011 @ 5pm EST. You can enter once at HGTV & once at Front Door. So head on over & enter :D

Last, but not least, I've started on Valentin's Day items. I made a child's bracelet the other nigh. I haven't listed it on the shop yet, but what do you think of it?

Stay warm & have a great day!
xoxo

2010, I bid you farewell,

2010-12-31T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of 2010 . For some, it was a terrible year, & others, a pretty decent year. I've noticed this month alone, almost everyone I know is currently sick with a cold, with the exception of my mom and two little brothers. They all three have the flu. I just hope I don't get sick. I've already had the flu once this year, I prefer not have it again. This year has been, well, a year. I'm sitting here reading my end of the year post from last year (you can read it here) & I'll have to say 2009 was a crazy year as well. The A's & B's are still coming, along with a C *lol*, the hubby is still in school , the father-daughter relationship is still the same . Almost two years without talking, I'm not expecting it to get any better . I'll admit, it hurts, even almost two years later. It always will, but I find if you don't expect anything, it can't hurt you anymore than it already does & that's my plan. Anyhow, I did manage to almost finish my degree this year In 2011 I will finally have my AA degree. What else happened this year? We actually saw snow way early this year We usually don't get any until Jan or Feb, but it came the day after Christmas Back in Spring, we had to take the hubby to the ER because of his back, but it's all better now, so that's a plus. I also ended up with a new tattoo this year, unlike last year where I had 3 new tattoos & 4 new piercings. We also got three new additions to the family this year: Cali (cat), Midnight (kitty) & Shadow (dog). 2010 has also been a decent year for Black Water FX. We've sold more than we sold last year. We even sold stuff on Christmas! We also went to TN this year, which was a plus.

As I do every year, I'm looking back on my 2010 resolutions. I've accomplished 6 out 7 things I had listed. As for this next year, my resolutions are:
1) Cut back on soda
2) Work out at least 30 minutes every day
3) Graduate - on time
4) Continue to sell more on Etsy
5) Save up for extra cash for our cruise in May
6) Get down to my idea weight
7) Stop procrastinating
8) Go back to TN

2010, I bid you farewell. 2011, I welcome you with open arms. I hope 2011 is the best year for everyone! Be safe, have fun, & have a great New Year!

Through Sara's Eyes

2010-12-21T21:52:00.003-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A My shop name is my business name. When I started working after cancer, it was pretty traumatic. I had to re-learn everything and my view of the world had changed. I want to share that. I want to show how beautiful the world is, through my eyes, to others. Though I do wish I had never gotten cancer, it has colored my world. The black is blacker still, but all the other colors are much more vivid too.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A A friend showed me the site. She had been selling jewelry on it. I don't do much studio work anymore so this looked great.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A Nov. 19, '08, but I really didn't get serious with it 'till late '09.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A This is what I'm doing full time. I'm really pulling my resources and pouring it into this.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I do and have bought several times from Etsy sellers.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I do. There is care and attention put into every part of a handmade item & that is worth the little extra cost. There are so many keepsake-worthy items!

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A I love this. There are so many ways to interpret it and it was featured this year in the fashion e-magazine, VivaLaModa!. Go to the Past Issues, January 2010 issue #7 on page 13. It felt good to get published.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Waiting for that sale!

Q What inspires you?
A Ohhh so much! I get inspired by stopping and looking. Looking up, breathing, and looking where I am. There is just so much and I want to share it, through my eyes.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A I would say stay true to your art. Don't compromise. Get to know other shop owners. Network and advertise advertise advertise! Make full use of free networks.

FaceBook: Through Sara's Eyes Creative Photography
Blog: My Life Starts Now
Twitter: ThruSarasEyes
Website: Through Sara's Eyes

Let It Snow!

2010-12-21T21:49:00.001-05:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Big Sky Artworks

2010-12-20T13:48:00.001-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A Montana is Big Sky Country. I had a graphic design business called Big Sky Imaging a while back, and this name just seemed like a natural extension of that. I chose the “Artworks” part because I create all different kinds of art, from mosaic tile to paintings to sculpture to pottery. My Etsy store has ended up being mostly sculpted pottery with some jewelry – but I wanted to keep my options for listings as open as possible.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A To be honest, I don’t really know. I think I was just browsing the Internet one day and ran across it. I found the site long before I finally made the jump and got an account.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I first signed up in April of 2009. I made a few purchases, did a little browsing, and thought about setting up a store. I didn’t make THAT leap until Nov. 1 of the same year – so it has been a little over a year that my store has been open. Now that I am on Etsy as a seller, I’m sorry I took so long – it has been a great experience.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Both! I am employed full-time as a teacher, but there are times when it seems like I am working two full-time jobs, especially during the busy holiday season. I read features like “I Quit My Day Job,” and I can’t imagine even wanting to do that. I love to create, but I love to teach, too. And if I had to rely on creating to pay my bills, I feel like it would take some of the fun out of it. As it is, anything I sell is just gravy – fun money for gifts and travel.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A Most of the time, if I see something handmade that I like, I will figure out how to make it. If it is something I can’t or don’t have time to make, I do buy from other Etsy sellers. My latest addiction is handmade soaps – I’m pretty sure I’m much cleaner than I used to be, because I go out of my way to use all the nice-smelling, pretty soaps!

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I suppose it depends on the item. A handmade car, for instance, might not be terribly efficient. But for gifts, and for special possessions, nothing beats handmade. There’s something personal about an item that someone has made by hand. It’s like there’s a little bit of love in it. You don’t get that from a factory.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A I’m not sure why, but I love my pig mugs. Every one of them has what I call its own “piganality.” Each one is different, has a different expression, a different feeling. The sculpted mugs make me smile, even while I’m making them.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A I hate waiting – and there is a lot of waiting in pottery. First you throw the pot and wait for it to dry enough to sculpt. Then you sculpt it and wait for it to dry enough to trim. Then you trim it and put a handle on it, and wait for it to dry enough to fire. Then you wait for it to cool. Then you glaze it, and fire it again. This time you have to wait even longer for it to cool... but it’s worth it. Opening the kiln after a glaze firing is like Christmas morning when you were a little kid. You never know what you’re going to get, but you know it’s going to be exciting.

Q What inspires you?
A I get my ideas from lots of different sources – friends, my kids, my husband, the Etsy chat room, and pretty often just my crazy imagination. My Male Chauvinist Pig mug, for instance, occurred to me as I was walking down the hall at work – and the vision of the pig with a handlebar mustache made me burst out laughing.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Believe in your product. Constantly strive to improve. Don’t push for sales – it will only make you crazy. Look at other people’s stores to see what they are doing right – and what they are doing wrong. Evaluate your own store critically. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to succeed. Above all, don’t forget to have fun creating.

FaceBook Fan Page: Big Sky Artworks
Twitter: bigskyartworks
Email: bigskyartworks@gmail.com

Away in a Manger

2010-12-20T13:44:00.001-05:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2010-12-19T00:49:00.002-05:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-15T13:43:00.001-05:00

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Brigitte's Button Bijoux

2010-12-15T13:23:00.003-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A It was very easy. Brigitte's Button Bijoux: The alliteration rolls off the tongue nicely.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A A friend of mine had started a vintage shop on Etsy, Emma Ruth Vintage and I discovered Etsy through her.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I celebrated my one year anniversary at the end of November. It's definitely been a year of learning.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A It's a hobby. I work in the Arts but in a less artistic position so this became an artistic outlet for me. It's also a gentle way to learn about running a small business.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I sure do. I've bought more on Etsy than I've sold. I'm constantly impressed with the quality of the items I receive.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I believe there's a place for both. But I do prefer to buy handmade and to buy local when my finances and resources allow.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A In the button world, I'm particularly fond of my brooches. I love this one because the buttons were carefully handmade by a fellow Etsyian and have traveled across the ocean to be part of my brooch. Away from the button world, a few years ago I made a Michael Kors designer cape from Vogue Knitting's 25th Anniversary magazine that I love.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Wrapping the wire can be a pain on the hands but truly the hardest part is pricing. They may be made from buttons but depending on where the buttons have come from and how intricate the design is they can be quite pricey and time consuming to make. In this world of mass production and bargain hunting I think finding the balance between a price where you compensate yourself for your work and and a price where the product will sell can be a challenge for a lot of handmade artists.

Q What inspires you?
A Everything around me. Nature, color, sometimes a specific person. I try to keep myself open to what's around me.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Be prepared for the set backs and use them to persevere and move forward. This is not a market for people who give up easily. And try to remember to enjoy the journey when you can.

Blog: Trans-Canada Etsy Team
Twitter: transcanadaetsy

Features, treasuries, & more

2010-12-14T14:18:00.004-05:00

I made another treasury today. I'm going to try to do one up until Christmas & try to have it revolve around Christmas songs. Below is a list of previous treasuries as well as the current one. Check out the song at the end :) Also, don't forget to check out the feature with Celia Currin Art, Saffron Walden, and Eljah B. Also, check out my new items in Tie Me Up & let me know what you think of 'em.

December Treasuries
Baby It's Cold Outside
Santa Clause is Coming to Town
Frosty The Snowman

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Eljahb

2010-12-14T14:14:00.002-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A My shop name comes from my husband, who is quite a story teller. When we started dating 13 years ago (and got married 11 years ago), one of the things he would do was tell me stories. One of his stories was about an Elf named Rodan and a Fairy named Eljah. He created the name of the fairy by taking letters of my first and middle name. These characters went on many adventures and were best friends. I decided to use this name because it represents creativity, the love and support of my husband, and it reminds me to have fun and enjoy the magic of making things.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A I heard about Etsy when I was on a search for fabric. I had friends who bought through Etsy shops. Once I found the Etsy world, I haven't turned back. I buy my fabrics through Etsy and many other wonderful pieces for gift giving and more.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A My shop status says I have been on Etsy since January 2010, but I really opened shop in September 2010. It took me longer to get it all started because I have two little ones at home. My daughter is 3 1/2and my son is 1 1/2.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Etsy is not full time for me, yet. I would love for it to become more of a mainstay in my life. My biggest priority is my children and family, but I wouldn't mind more business to fill up my down time :) I spend my free time sewing, designing, cutting, and making the pieces I love and list on Etsy.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I definitely buy handmade as well!

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Hands-down I prefer handmade over factory. Handmade pieces have character, are unique, better quality, and have those wonderful imperfections that you know come only with handmade. It's those aspects of handmade that make them more meaningful and memorable.
Also, you know that the artist is making the piece out of a love and passion for their work. You don't get that with a factory.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A One of my favorite items in my shop is the Nativity banner. Christmas is a very special time for our family,and I wanted to share that with others. It took me a while to figure out what images I would use include to tell the Christmas story, and then determine the scale. I love the 7 scenes and how they are silhouettes. The banner can evoke different emotions based on the fabric choices. You can go fun and festive, or you can go more traditional and reflective.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A The hardest part about the items I make is the designing and cutting. All of the lettering and images are hand traced from templates I make and then hand cut. There are machines out there that cut images and lettering for heat transferred vinyl, but I like to do it. By relying on myself, I can choose different fabrics and styles. I like how the pieces reflect things I love and are not always perfect.

Q What inspires you?
A I find most of my inspiration from words, quotes, and fabrics. I will find beautiful fabrics and then have dreams of what they can become in a quilt or banner. For the hair accessories, my daughter inspires me with her personality. She helps choose the color combinations and gives me daily input. I love how the hair accessories become a special time for me and my daughter.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A For someone just starting out, I would say: be patient. It takes a long time to gain a following. Etsy is a huge world, but handmade items are priceless and becoming more popular. Believe in your product and don't get too depressed if things aren't selling faster than you hoped. It will come. Take the extra time to enjoy your creative process.

FaceBook: EljahB
There's a giveaway right now on the fanpage listed above. They had their first winner at 65 members. Their next giveaway is at 85 members, and then the last one is at 100 members.

Saffron Walden

2010-12-14T13:54:00.001-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
It's a town in England. When I heard the name, I thought, "oooh, I like that."

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A friend was shopping on it and told me about it.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A A bit over a year, since August 2009.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Side project. I would be making ornaments and whatnot anyway; Etsy helps me keep it from overtaking my house. :)

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I try to. I love paper products and handmade ornaments.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Generally, yeah. I think people take more time to make sure everything is well made.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A It's sold, but this ornament had some of the coolest color blending I've gotten. Of what's still in my store, the sunshiney yellow of this heart always makes me smile.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Hmmm. I can think of two. I'm super-picky, so even if someone else can't see a flaw, I know it's there and won't sell it. And taking photos that represent the colors of the ornaments well. I'm getting better, but I still think they look better in person.

Q What inspires you?
A Colors and shapes. When I make my ornaments, I'm always trying different color combinations to see how they swirl and blend. Sometimes it's amazing and sometimes it's a muddy-brown mess. I also always keep an eye out for unusual shapes, so I can try something new and different.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Go for it! Beyond that, decide what you want this to be: a side project or a full-time job. I think that really determines the amount of time you put into it. Read the Etsy articles and forums. Look at what else is available to help you get a sense of price and audience. Promote if you can. I've done more this year and it's had a noticeable effect. And have fun. I think that's the most important part.

Celia Currin Art

2010-12-14T13:51:00.001-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A That was easy, I just used my name since I am a artist.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A I heard about Etsy several years ago on the web but was never really involved with Etsy until recently.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A Going on 3 months.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A I would love for Etsy to be a full time job but for now it is something I do to help pass the time and hopefully encourage others along the way.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I love to buy handmade items!

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I prefer handmade any day!

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A I love this ACEO card I created. It represents the love and faith I have in the Lord.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Really not anything, I really enjoy what I do.

Q What inspires you?
A My relationship with Jesus. He is the reason for my art.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Make something that is unique, that no one else has done. Make your products stand out and you must advertise, advertise, advertise.

Blog: Celia Currin Art

Another package :)

2010-12-13T17:12:00.001-05:00

I went out into the chillin' air & checked the mail. What did I find? A package. It was from so I knew it had to bed the charm I had been waiting for.

I opened up the packaged & found a small, but cute box inside. It had ribbon tied to it along with her business card.

She even included a personal note that read "Congratulations Kim & I hope that you love your June charm! Happy Holiday :)".

The charm is very pretty. The photos don't do it justice.

On another note, don't forget to check out the Q&A with Ang's Divine Designs here. I've also updated my food blog with a new tasty recipe. And last, but not least, a new treasury that can be found here.

I almost forgot! I am having holiday discounts in two of my shops. You can get a 10% discount from Tie Me Up & a 20% discount from Banner-Mart.

I hope everyone stays warm & has a merry Christmas.
xoxo

It's Frosty Time

2010-12-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

I made another Christmas treasury dedicated to Frosty. Check out the treasury below & enjoy the cute little song at the end of this post. Merry Christmas!

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Ang's Divine Designs

2010-12-13T16:41:00.002-05:00

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A I actually came up with the name before I ever opened up a shop. I was just playing around with ideas and out came Ang's Divine Designs because it contains my name also. Right now, though, tmeddie04 is how I'm known on Etsy because I wasn't aware when I signed up that my username would be my shop name.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A I found about Etsy through a co-worker. Someone had told her that Etsy was all the rage right now.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I just got the shop set up and going this May. It really took some time to get it just right.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A I would love to be able to make jewelry full time, but that's just not the case right now, so it's a side thing.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I have bought a few items from my fellow Etsians.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I do prefer good quality, but whether or not I buy handmade largely depends on price. Although I have bought a few items on Etsy because I couldn't find what I was looking for in a store and I knew some creative person on here could probably do it.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A Probably this set because it's so blingy!

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Really doing the beadweaving bracelets with the bead chips is the most time consuming, but I just love making jewelry.

Q What inspires you?
A I think my daughter really inspires me and my best friend. They both love everything I make and my 11 year old daughter wants most of it, so I usually end up making something similar for her or my best friend's daughter.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Well, I really haven't been extremely successful at this yet, but hopeful. I would say to them what I say to myself, stick with it if it is your passion as it is mine. The other thing I think a lot of people are looking for these days is a bargain.

FaceBook: Angs Divine Designs

Everyboy Else

2010-12-10T13:29:00.003-05:00

Today's feature comes to us from Everybody Else in Goshen, IN. Enjoy this Q&A, get to know Everybody Else, & don't forget to check 'em on out on Etsy.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A My shop name is from the Switchfoot song "Chem 6a" on their "Legend of Chin" cd. I've loved that song for a long time, but also since I draw everybody else, it just seemed to fit.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A I read about it in Lucky Magazine and ventured online because I loved the word of Belle & Boo.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A Technically since winter of 2008, but I only really got serious about selling on here last December.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Definitely a side job. I work full time designing ads and illustrating books for a small publishing company. My illustrations are what I come home and do to relax.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A Oh yes. I adore the vast selection on Etsy. I've already bought several handmade gifts for Christmas on Etsy and I plan to buy more if I can find the perfect items in time to have them shipped!

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Depends on what I'm going for. I ADORE handmade jewelry or decorative items. But I'm pretty poor myself so anything that's big ticket I tend to get at Target or Ikea. Or garage sales.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A The newest illustrations are usually my favorites so "Fire & Night", "Winter Sunshine" and "Night Light" all have me excited right now. But "Midwest Daydreams" is also an enduring favorite.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Creating something unique or figuring out what people want to buy. People surprise me. I sort of thought no one but me would love "God is Bigger", but I've already sold it several times in various incarnations (canvas, as aceos, kromekote prints), though not all on Etsy.

Q What inspires you?
A People. Mostly. The way they sit or stand. How they do their hair. Their clothes. What they spend time doing. I love drawing people. Everything else is secondary.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Good luck! Um, no, I'd tell them that there are a lot of people selling online now and that first of all - a standout product is a must. You need to grab people's attention with something unique, not just a knock off of what someone else is selling successfully - but also - it's not enough. You could be selling a cure for cancer, but if you're selling in on Etsy, just having it won't be enough. You'd better have great photos, good keywords and promote like crazy.

Blog: Everybody Illustrated
Twitter: everybodyelse01
Facebook: everybodyelse.art

Santa Clause is Coming to Town...

2010-12-10T13:00:00.003-05:00

In 15 days that is :D In the meantime, check out my Santa filled treasury & enjoy the song below it.

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

Random News Thursday

2010-12-09T14:52:00.002-05:00

Oh, my. What could this be? A package, for me? Let's see what's inside!

My order from Rae of Light Photography. She even include a freebie! How awesome. I originally bought this, but I also received this (but different size).

On the back of her business card, she wrote "For you or a friend. Type "PAYITFORWARD" & received 20% off of your next regularly priced order. Thank you." Wow, a freebie & discount. Can't get much better than that. Can't wait to get these framed and put up with the rest of my photos.

On another note, there is no feature for today. I haven't heard back from the one that was suppose to be featured yesterday & didn't get a chance to get a feature for today. I will have more than one feature tomorrow, pending I hear back from everyone.

In other news, I'm officially on winter break. I took my exams yesterday, so I'm done until Jan. 10 :) It feels nice not to have to worry about school.

Is everyone ready for Christmas? I am! I have about 4 more presents to finish wrapping. Did anyone buy handmade this Christmas? I bought one thing from Etsy. I can't say what it is because it's for the hubby and he's been known to read my postings :D Speaking of handmade, we've been selling a good bit of these this month and last month. Perhaps gag gifts? Hmm... Well, I did about half of my Christmas from eBay & Amazon. The rest I did at stores. I was going to make Christmas cards, but the hubby's computer messed up. He fixed it, but I just haven't had time to reinstall the printer, so I went to eBay :)

I won another giveaway. I won a June Pandora Troll Style Birthstone Charm Pearl from Flaunt Designs Jewelry. The giveaway was hosted by Christie Cottage. I actually forgot I had entered, so I was surprised when I got a Etsy convo about it. I will post photos of the charm as soon as I received it.

Don't forget to check out the new recipe on my food blog. I'm thinking about making it for Christmas. Also, if you want to be featured, click here for more details.

Enjoy this song & I hope you all have a very merry Christmas.

Kirameku

2010-12-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

Today's feature comes from Kirameku in Canada. Enjoy the Q&A & check 'em out on Etsy.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A It took ma a while to get settled on it, but I finally picked up this marvelous Japanese word that describes the shine of the ocean and diamonds; since I love both of them so much! :D

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A A good friend of mine told me about the website, because the only ones I had researched were Kijiji and eBay, which I didn't really liked. Hurray for handmade! :D

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I have been a shop owner for a bit more than a year now, and it is a fantastic journey! :D

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Hopefully it will become a full time job, but right now it's more a project aside.
I am a full time student at Dawson College, Montreal and have a part-time job at an art store. One more semester to go and I'll be able to devote myself to my shop completely! :D Wouhou!

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I try as much as possible to buy handmade as often as I can, but sometimes due to budget restrictions and shipping fees it become a huge puzzle :S. Handmade stuff is so great, I wonder why there is not even more people buying it! :D

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A 200% yes!

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A Hum, kind of hard to say, because I love them all! :D I have to say that I am super proud of my Poison Ivy Original Watercolor and that the Chandeliers Sunset Swarovski Earrings turned out so nice it was hard for me to put them fore sale! * giggles * As for the rings, I wear my very own peacock ring pretty much everyday ! :D

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A The hardest part I would say is to actually stop buying supplies ! It's quite hard to try to figure out which color, pattern and size will actually be winners.

Q What inspires you?
A A lot of other artists, nature and fashion! :D

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Read! Read as much as you can on your subject and don't get discouraged! It's a pretty hard thing that to sell on internet, but you can do it! :D

Twitter: Kirameku412
Blog: kirameku412

Tomorrow's feature: #13 - Ragademalion

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-07T14:55:00.003-05:00

It's a chilling 36 degrees here today. Brrr. I figured why not make a warm & cozy treasury. I haven't made one since Halloween.

^^^Click image to go to treasury^^^

A big surprise from Canada

2010-12-07T14:45:00.002-05:00

I got a big surprise in the mail today. It was a package from Canada.

A few weeks ago, I won $100 store credit from a giveaway Crystal Gayle Photography was having. I picked out three prints from her shop. I got the prints today & they are lovely. I hadn't heard from her since Nov 16, so this was quite a surprise :)

I got a 5x7 of Reflection, a 11x14 of History, and a 4x6 of Window Reflections. Now I have to get some frames & frame these. Can't wait to get 'em up on the wall :-)

Rosey Finch

2010-12-06T13:15:00.003-05:00

Today's feature comes to us from RoseyFinch in. Sit back & enjoy this wonderful Q&A. Don't forget to check her out on Etsy. Also, December 11-12 RoseyFinch will be at the Lucid Stage Craft Festival on Baxter Blvd in Portland Maine.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A When I was starting the line for this shop, I already had one other Etsy shop. I was opening RoseyFinch so I could have a place for my nicer, more high end items. I was struggling to find a new name because I needed it to be original and also to fit well with my first shop, BlueSky. I fretted over the new name for days. I wandered around the house, thinking out loud, being highly distressed, and annoying my boyfriend. Finally one night as I was lying in bed, all upset because I still didn't have a name, it suddenly just popped into my head. RoseyFinch. I proceeded to wake my poor boyfriend up and tell him the great news. The next day, I opened my shop!

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A I heard about Etsy from a friend. I was trying to figure out how to sell the things I was making and she suggested I check it out.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A My first shop has been on Etsy for nearly a year, but I opened up RoseyFinch last summer (in June, I think).

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Etsy is what I do on the side, but I would like it to be full time. I'm an art student at UMaine, and very busy with that, so my time for an actual job is extremely limited. It would be nice if my Etsy picked up enough to actually pay more than just the electric bill.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I buy handmade whenever possible. I actually feel a little guilty when I buy something from a factory because I'd rather be supporting an artist.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I absolutely prefer handmade over factory. Lately I've really tried to stop buying anything that I could make myself or afford to buy from a mall business owner.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A One of my favorite items I've made is actually a toy theater for my sculpture class that's not ever done yet. I'm an amateur woodworker, but I still love it :) As far as Etsy shop, though, I think my favorite is this feather headband.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A The hardest part is while buying supplies I get a little overexcited and have to remind myself to calm down and not buy too much, because I can't make it all. I just don't have time, or the money to put into it.

Q What inspires you?
A My inspiration comes from the world around me, and my daydreams. Sometimes I'll see someone walking around who just looks beautiful. Not necessarily their face or hair or clothes, but the colors they have on. Before I ordered my holiday supplies I saw a girl walking around campus dressed in such beautiful winter colors, and suddenly I knew what I wanted in the next few weeks. Sometimes my inspiration comes from movies with particularly stunning costumes. I also read Etsy's merchandising reports and that always gives me some ideas for colors and materials.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A OH MY GOD DO YOUR RESEARCH! That's what Id say to someone just starting out. I literally spent hours and hours just surfing around looking for the most economical way to buy supplies before I bought anything, and even more hours and hours reading the above mentioned merchandising reports. IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO DO THAT! Otherwise, you'll just waste time and money.

Twitter: roseyfinchME
Tumblr: roseyfinch

Tomorrow's feature: #3 - kirameku

If you didn't get a chance to enter to be feature, click here to find out how you can be featured after Christmas.

Ants Accessories

2010-12-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

Today's feature comes to us from Ants Accessories in California. Check out this great Q&A & don't forget to check out Ants Accessories on Etsy.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A My shop name was a mistake. I did not know when I joined that you couldn't change it and that it was going to be my shop name not just the user id.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A Some one I knew was selling some t-shirts. I already had some things on eBay and once I found Etsy I was hooked.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I think it's been 3 years now.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Etsy is really part time. I would make things even without the shop but this gives me an outlet and motivation to keep being creative.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A I try very hard to support handmade and other small business. I always look on Etsy before I shop elsewhere for gifts.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A I suppose it depends on what it is. Some things just need to be handmade. Like a baby's first blanket or an especially soft scarf. I have a serious thing for pottery. If I never bought a factory made dish it would be fine with me.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A That is a tough one. Every time I make a new item it is my current favorite.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A I don't think what I make is especially hard. But coming up with interesting fabric combinations is what I spend more time on. And keeping things unique. I rarely make 2 of the same thing. Even if it's similar I'm sure something about it is different.

Q What inspires you?
A Everything. Fashion magazines, catalogs, and materials. If it's soft I will think of something to make out of it. I am a huge vampire fan and am constantly finding ways to incorporate that into the shop.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Make what you love. You may end up with it. And I find that the more honest to myself I am with what I make the more I sell.

Webiste: Ants Place
FaceBook: Ants Accessories
Twitter: antsaccessories

Tomorrow's feature: #10 - RoseyFinch

Peanut Butter Pie

2010-12-04T13:13:00.002-05:00

Today's feature comes to us from Peanut Butter Pie in Vancouver. Sit back, relax, & enjoy learning about this awesome shop. Don't forget to check them out!

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A I have two shops on Etsy. The first is photo-centric and named for what my photography studio would be called if I had one; TMCphoto . PeanutButterPie is named for my daughter. When she was hanging around waiting to be born and after she made her debut we referred to her as The Peanut. The thing with nicknames is that they have a tendency to evolve and soon we were calling the Peanut, Peanut Butter and not long after that we were referring to her as Peanut Butter Pie. Well, to be honest we were using all of those names for her interchangeably. When I decided to open up a second shop on Etsy I wanted a name that was cute, fun and wouldn't limit what would be sold there. I also wanted a name that would have some meaning for me and PeanutButterPie fits the bill.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A Not long after the Peanut came along I signed up for an online newsletter which featured a lot of products for babies and toddlers. One day they were featuring these amazing little ponchos for babies and toddlers. I clicked on the link and was introduced to Etsy. When I saw the amazing art, and hand made goods I knew that I wanted to get on there myself. I was suffering from Postpartum Depression and part of what got me through was taking the time to create art again. Between getting my camera out again and starting to paint again I started to build a bit of an inventory and then I opened up shop.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A I opened TMCPhoto in July of 2008. I opened PeanutButterPie in September of that year after I started to create cards and paintings for the new babies that were making the rounds in my circle of Momma friends. I had built a small inventory, opened PeanutButterPie and listed the extras.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A I'm a stay at home mom which is my full time gig. Etsy is kind of a full time/ part time since I do it at the same time and being a Momma. Balancing all the work that is involved with running an online shop and being a mom is a full time job all in itself.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A Absolutely! The bulk of our holiday shopping is done on Etsy or through local craft and arts fairs. I love that the items we pick out for family will not likely be duplicated, are hand chosen with them in mind and made with love and care. So far this last week I've got the Bean (the Peanut's soon to be little sister, who will probably become known as Jelly Bean) the sweetest pair of Peacock maryjanes from Sunflowerexpress and gifts for my brother and brother in law (which I will keep secret so they don't catch wind of their surprises) from AspenBottleHolders and Rockitbot. All three sellers have fantastic customer service and beautiful items. I can't wait to give them.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Handmade hands down! Supporting a fellow artist/artisan/craftsperson in itself is reason enough, but add in that handmade is well made, unique, factory made just pales in comparison.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A That's a tough one. All the ornament/ suncatchers are so close to me at the moment that it's hard to choose. I recently carved a star stamp that we've made into ornaments which are stunning, but I also like the tree themed, spiral suns and snowflake themed ornaments. I've recently added a customizing service to the shop where you can add a date, name or short phrase to any ornament which I'm very excited about too. If I'm going to have to choose one I'll pick this one: Holiday Tree Ornament - Forest Tree and Snowflake.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A Well, The ornament/suncatchers in PeanutButterPie are a collaboration between myself and my husband. I carve the stamps that I use to make the images on the ornaments with glass paint then tape them with copper foil for my husband to solder, then we clean the rosin residue off and photograph them for listing. I'd have to say that the hardest part is a toss up between the soldering and the photographing. Soldering because I'm accident prone when it comes to handling super hot tools, which is where the husband comes in. He's good at it and suffers from fewer blisters than I would if I was doing his job; add into the equation that I'm currently pregnant and not able to work with the smell of melted tin/silver solder and you get the worst of it. Then there's the photographing which is tough right now because I've got the big belly to contend with, normally at a photoshoot I'm up, I'm down, I'm bending this way and that way to get the best shot possible. With a belly full of Bean my movements are slower and contorting is not comfortable.

Q What inspires you?
A I'm most inspired when I am making. There's something about working on something creative that gets the brain thinking and coming up with new ideas. Working with others is inspiring and of course there's nature, music, art and browsing through Etsy which all help to inspire.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A A few things. Have a business plan. Selling online is a business and requires some planning and thinking ahead of time. I started out by diving right in and I wish I'd spent the time (or had the time to) get a business plan together. I've spent a lot of time learning and stumbling and making notes for the next time... which leads to my next piece of advice. Make use of the Etsy forums, chat rooms, Teams, and Virtual labs. The community on Etsy is fantastic and there are sellers in those places that are incredibly generous with their experience and advice. Finally it's a lot of hard work to get your name and your product out there.

Blog: TMCphoto-PeanutButterPie
FaceBook: Tami-Murray-Cline
Twitter: PeanutButterPie

Tomorrows feature: #8 - ayoka

Stefanies Sammelsurium

2010-12-03T09:13:00.004-05:00

Today's feature comes to us from . Please sit back & enjoy a wonderful Q&A with steufel. Don't forget to get out her shop as well.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A Actually the story of my shop name is a little bit embarrassing. When I discovered Etsy a few years ago I never thought of selling so I registered with my usual screen name steufel (mixture of my name Teufel and surname Stefanie). Unfortunately, Etsy doesn’t allow you to change
your username – that’s the reason I’m stuck with this super-exciting shop-title “steufel” everyone is envy about :)

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A When I started beading I soon realized that the choices in Germany are limited. Then someone pointed out that there is this great place called Etsy. I was hooked the minute I went there for the first time.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A As a buyer since July 2009 – as a seller since October 2010. So you talking to a newbie here.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A Yes, I do. I’m responsible for the marketing at a local newspaper.

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A Absolutely. I shop at Etsy all the time. I like the idea to support individuals so I try to get all my supplies there. It’s so much more rewarding to buy stuff from people who are committed to their work. And I think everyone on Etsy is committed.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Absolutely – you can feel all the love that went into making the particular piece. That is so great.

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A My first bracelet with my own handmade lampwork-beads. It is not that fancy and the beads are far from being perfect, but it has a special meaning to me.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A To find the time to make them. I have to work till six o’clock, sometimes later and I have a fiancé who wants to spent time with me (and vice versa) so there isn’t too much time left for making jewelry. I try to get things done on the weekend. I love to sit down with my stash and come up with a new bracelet or necklace.

Q What inspires you?
A To walk around and look at people, places, pictures etc. Creating jewelry is a spontaneous process – at least for me. Ideas strike me every time and everywhere and sometimes it’s hard to wait till I get home and try if this particular idea really works out.

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Enjoy what you do. Try to make things you like and not what the markets ask for. In the long run it will pay off and the whole creating process is so much more rewarding. And join a community. You meet great people like Kim here.

Blog: Stefanies Sammelsurium
Facebook: Stefanies.Sammelsurium
Twitter: steufel_1

Tomorrow's feature: #19 - peanutbutterpie

Holiday Ornaments

2010-12-01T20:12:00.003-05:00

Today's feature comes to use from Leanne in Orlando. Her shop is called Holiday Ornaments. The perfect shop for Christmas ornaments. I had the pleasure to have a Q&A with her. Check it out below & don't forget to check her out.

Q How did you come up with your shop name?
A Since I hand design ornaments for the holidays, I felt like Leanne's Handmade Holiday would be a great choice. Unfortunately Handmade Holiday was already in use when I signed up for Etsy, so Holiday Ornaments seemed like the next best option.

Q How did you hear about Etsy?
A A girlfriend of mine told me about it, and thought it would be a perfect avenue for me to sell my ornaments.

Q How long have you been on Etsy?
A Since the end of August, 2010.

Q Is Etsy a full time job or something you do on the side?
A This is my passion, so no - it's not a full time job. Would I like it to be? Absolutely!

Q Since you make handmade items, do you buy handmade as well?
A Without a doubt! I'm a true believer in supporting my fellow crafters, and have made many dear friends through Etsy.

Q Do you prefer handmade over factory made?
A Handmade, hands down!

Q What is one of your favorite items that you've made?
A I claim that each new ornament I design is my favorite - it's crazy! But, I really love all the symmetrical look of striped materials.

Q What's the hardest part about the items you make?
A They're extremely time consuming. Each ornament is made from an individually folded piece of fabric or ribbon, which is strategically placed to make a quilted pattern. From beginning (prepping fabric and ribbons, etc.) to completion (adding bows, hangers and embellishments), each ornament takes between 2 and 3 hours to complete!

Q What inspires you?
A All it takes is a trip to my favorite fabric store - or to turn the corner and see the holiday ribbon aisle in any craft store. It's pure nirvana...

Q What would you say to a person just starting out in the handmade world?
A Don't give up. When I initially began making my ornaments many, many years ago - let's just say that they were *less* then appealing. Had I given up, I wouldn't be where I am today! As with anything, if you persevere, you can be successful at anything.

You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HandmadeHoliday

Tomorrows feature: #14 Steufel

Thanksgiving break & features

2010-12-01T13:48:00.007-05:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. My Thanksgiving was great. The hubby & I stayed at his parent's house Thanksgiving Eve - Sunday. We came back home Sunday night. While we were there, I got to see family that I hadn't seen in a while. They made some AWESOME chili cream cheese dip. I don't like chili, but this dip is yummy. I have the recipe on my food blog. We also watched home movies of when the hubby was a kid. What great entertainment, lol. We also had a movie night & watched Shutter Island. I had seen it before, but that's a WONDERFUL movie. If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you do. However, I do not recommend the PC game. 3 hours & you've gotten it beat. We also seen Unstoppable. That's a good movie as well. Had a lot of well deserved, long over due, family time. :)

Over Thanksgiving break, I received three awesome things in the mail. One was a $100 gift card to the movies. I won first place in a Halloween costume contest hosted by a local newspaper. If you helped vote for me, thank you! I also received a Craft Leftovers Zine from Absolutely Small. I was also one of the winners of the SpOoKy MeGa Giveaway hosted by Jewelry by Solange. That was the third thing I got over the break. Last night I got awesome news as well. I found out I won the Halloween costume contest hosted by Legendary Halloween. I received $100 Amazon gift certificate. I used part of it to finish up Christmas shopping last night, lol. Thank you to those that voted. There's one more contest, but winners won't be announced until sometime this month.

Also, I only had 20 people to enter the December feature. This month snuck up on me, so I will start the first feature tomorrow (or when I receive the questions). I'm still going to use random.org to pick the order I will feature the ones that entered. If you would like to be feature, I have posted a link on the side, & you can enter there. You can also click here to enter. Keep in mind that your feature will be after Christmas & may be shorter. You might also share a feature post with another feature.

Our first feature of the month will be #12: Holiday Ornaments

Hope you all have a great day!
XoXo

After Christmas Features

2010-12-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

If you didn't enter for your chance to be featured Dec. 1-25, don't worry! You can enter for you chance to be featured Dec. 26-Jan. 1. In 250 words or less, tell me why I should feature you. Keep in mind that your feature will be after Christmas & may be shorter. You might also share a feature post with another feature. I will use random.org to generate the order of the features. Entry submissions will end Dec. 25, 2010 @ 11:59pm.

Best & Worse Thanksgiving Dishes

2010-11-24T22:23:00.001-05:00

Three Best Thanksgiving Dishes
According to Today MSNBC

1) Savory bread pudding

2)Sticky and sweet potatoes

3)Spaghetti squash and caramel pie

Where's the turkey? Ham? Potato Salad?

Five Worse Thanksgiving Dishes
According to Chow

1) Ambrosia salad

2) Sweet potatoes with marshmallows

3) Jell-O salad

4) Giblet gravy

5) Anything weird that you do to mashed potatoes