Treasured in an Ocean of Jewels

My breath is taken away by this mesmerizing allure of timeless pieces.  Jewels, lingerie, shawls and scarfs, oceans and skies, blondes, sisters, and starfish.  Titled Mystical Seaside of Treasures and created by my twin sister, Jessica (Eco-friendly Freckles), I am honored to be featured in this treasury of hers.  The painting of mine that Jessica featured is titled Is He the Man of My Dreams.  Please take a moment to glance at this lovely collection of prized and genuine artifacts of nature.

Local Shop Advertising Made Easy with Snail Mail

Inspired by Totally Real's creator, Donna, and her latest blog post on snail mail, and after hearing about a new U.S. Postal Service option on NPR's The Last Word in Business a couple of weeks ago on Junk Mail, I was encouraged to make a post on the topic.  "Starting this year, marketers no longer have to provide exact addresses when they send out fliers, letters or other junk mail on a designated route.  The change is aimed at helping smaller businesses."

In recent years, e-mailing has become the norm for "junkers"; not saying that that is what we are as Etsy shop owners who are interested in getting our names out there, but we are interested in "advertising", and sales ads are generally considered junk mail: via e-mail or snail mail.  Now that advertisers/marketers are just able to print the words "postal customer" on their advertisements to get to local mailboxes, and not have to worry about purchasing pricey local mailing lists, there are no boundaries to your business's success.

An idea on how to take advantage of this new mailing option is to ... throw an art party!!!  Picking out a local location is a safe and easy venue plan for you and your potential customers: i.e. at your local park or library.  Be sure to make handsome little postcard invitations on sturdy card stock, and the stamp only costs you $0.28!  If you are interested in this idea, please be sure to check with your local post office on what size of dimensions your postcard advertisement/invitation can be; I used to know, but I forgot (my apologies).  Anyway, I hope that I have broadened your thoughts on local advertising, and inspired you to get out there and show them what you've got!

Picnics and Packed Lunches

My husband, Robert, and I took our baby boy Bobby (now 6 months) for a stroll down riverside in Tulsa today.  The weather was so lovely (in the 70's), and boy did we get a workout!  My only regret was that we forgot to grab our camera, but we do hope to do this again soon or next time the weather permits it; watch us have another snow in March this year ."haha"  The above picture was taken on riverside by his Aunt Jessy last year in September; when Bobby was only two months old. 

Anyway, all this nice weather today has inspired me to right a post about packing lunches.  Make it fancy or make it quick and easy?  Healthy and thoughtful too, right?  The pantry staples that I try to keep on hand for packing a picnic to packing Robert's lunches that he takes to work are generally simple, nutritious, and most certainly tasty treats.  I find that brands that are labeled "organic" or "all-natural" help me to achieve this.  For a picnic, I love to go fancy!  Pack a bottle of some sparkling cider and some simple wine glasses, a block of cheese, and crackers ... and you're set!

Here is a picture of me taken at a picnic that Robert and I had at a rest area heading towards Hot Springs, AR in celebration of our anniversary a couple of years ago; see the bottle of sparkling cider. ;-) 

Shop Still Green with Age and Is Featured in a Treasury!!!

How exciting it is to be featured in a treasury for the first time!  And for it to be so soon after opening my shop, I am flabbergasted, flattered and very fortunate.  This treasury titled The Virgin and the Gipsy was created by Kirsten Schilling and her shop Arabesque Aromas.  Kirsten was inspired by her favorite DH Lawrence book when fabricating the theme for this treasury.  After stumbling across the sketch I have of DH Lawrence in my Etsy art shop titled Man Behind the Story, Kirsten felt compelled to feature it.  I am very grateful, and wish Kirsten and her shop, Arabesque Aromas, the best of luck, and to keep up with the treasuries; you certainly have an eye for them. :-)

Do It Yourself: Lovely Handmade Napkin Rings

I had my twin sister Jessica out for tea and blueberry pancakes this week, and I decided to use her handmade floral napkin rings for the occasion.  They are so lovely that I had to take pictures.  Jessica is quite the innovative artist!  I love how she is resourceful with the materials she chooses to use; these napkins rings are made out of left-over paper towel cardboard rolls and satin ribbons.  Jessica doesn't have her hand-made napkin rings listed in her Etsy shop, but she does recommend that you give this craft a try for yourself!  Grab a friend, a child, or throw a craft party, and don't forget to have fun!  You can see all of Jessica's other eco-friendly and artful creations by checking out her shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ecofriendlyfreckles

Jessica recommends that you check out these two short instructional videos if you are interested in making easy hand-made napkin rings yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hyKFLCYmfUY

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Cz7Ff4YljkU

Purple is my favorite color!  Thank you again Jessy for these lovely napkin rings; what a beautiful and thoughtful gift.  I love how these napkin rings match with my place settings too! :-) "xoxo"

What is Your Favorite Source of H2O?

My son, Bobby, taking a bath in his Grandad's kitchen sink.

I'd like to think that I am an advocate of consuming local goods: whether it be of honey, milk, eggs, produce, or even our local spring's water.  When it comes to convenience, purchasing bottled water is it for me.  I used to think that the nearer the source, the better.  However, here recently I have found that I am appreciating a spring, which is located clear across the ocean in France.  Where I justify this latest consumption choice of mine for my visiting of Paris and Toulouse in my past.  Weird conclusion, I must say.

This video above is a super cute advertisement of one of my favorite spring water distributers: Evian, from the French Alps.

This photo was taken of me in Hot Springs AR.; where the hot springs are so abundant in the area, the locals are able to fill up there water jugs in town with just a pull of a lever.  I used to purchase Ozarka bottled water because I knew it was derived from Arkansas.  However, with the recent news of numerous wildlife deaths in the area (birds and fish) without an explanation as to why yet, I am a bit hesitant of drinking spring water from here. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40887450/ns/us_news-environment/

Here is a photo of me taken in Toulouse, France at an abandoned ancient ruin bath house.  

Shakespeare Tea

Check out my latest Etsy art shop posting!  Shakespeare Tea! ... http://www.etsy.com/shop/StorybookArtifact

Made of lavender flowers, peppermint, summer savory, sweet marjoram, and calendula flowers, this floral tea is exquisite when served at any tea party, as that cup of tea while you read the morning paper, and/or especially stuffed in your mother's gift basket! My mother-in-law told me that this was her favorite tea, and she isn't really a tea drinker; she says that she likes to add a little honey to it after brewing. Inspired by the words spoken from Perdita (character in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale), this aromatic tea blend is a pleasure to all.

Sold by the ounce and placed in a resealable bag and gift box.


Act IV, Scene IV

PERDITA-

I'll not put the dibble* in earth to set one slip of them;
No more than were I painted I would wish
This youth should say 'twere well and only therefore
Desire to breed by me. Here's flowers for you; 

Hot** lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram; 

The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun 

And with him rises weeping: these are flowers 

Of middle summer, and I think they are given 

To men of middle age. You're very welcome. 


*dibble: a small implement used to make holes in the soil for planting.

**Hot. Meaning here uncertain. Contemporary herbalists classified some herbs as hot, others as cold: marjoram.

_History of Horticulture © 2002 Jules Janick, Purdue University

My Etsy Art Shop is Now Open!

Woohoo!  Greetings to all!  I am thrilled to be opening an art shop on Etsy!  Please feel free to visit it at: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StorybookArtifact