Custom Pet Portraits

I've had so much fun these last few days working on some custom dog hoops! Thanks to Vanessa and Jessica for giving me the chance to work with some extremely cute pups...

Magnet Give-Away Winner!

BIG thanks to everyone who participated in my first-ever giveaway and congrats to Jeff S. who will be taking home two lovely sets of magnets!

Snowflake Magnet Give-Away

Living ten years in Florida has really thinned out my blood. I traveled to my hometown of Philly over the Thanksgiving break to be with family and got a chance to remember what it's like to be cold. Really really cold. My 4 year old nephew has a man crush for the Imagination Movers so we all went to see them at Sesame Place. We were sitting in an outdoor pavilion, and with the wind chill, it was around 16 degrees. Pretty cold for a Floridian. Heck, we bring out the scarves when it's 72! Alas, a good time was had by all. My before and after pic...

So for right now, here's the only snow that I can really handle - Wilo Tree Press Snowflake Magnets. And in the holiday spirit I want to share them with you!

I'll be giving away two box sets of 4 magnets. One for you and one for you to give as a gift to your favorite snow buddy! Just drop a comment down below and let me know your favorite thing to hang up around the holidays. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Thursday so you have until Wednesday at midnight to drop a line. And please one comment per person. Can't wait to hear from you blog buddy!

A New Look for the Shop

Part One: The Battle for White Balance

So what was supposed to be a few days of tweaking my shop somehow turned into two weeks!  It all started with a conversation I had in the Etsy Forum. I was feeling a bit blue because of slow sales and no views, so I thought I'd drop in on a thread. Ya know, the one where you "say what's wrong with the shop above you."  And the comment I received was very nice but ended with a suggestion to "try to make all of the whites in your photos match."  And henceforth, the battle of white balance began! Oh brother has it been an uphill climb. After many hours of thumbing the exposure button up and down and bumping my head against a wall, I think I've finally figured out my system. Here's how I achieved a more balanced look to the photos in my shop...

This is my little corner of the bedroom where I usually 

set up to take pictures.

I would rest my pieces against the ledge to get the brightest spot. 

But I've always enjoyed looking at pictures on Etsy that have different backgrounds and foregrounds. I especially like photos that have aged pieces of wood. But where to find an old piece of wood? I stopped at Goodwill, peeked in a few antique shops and eyed some yard sales but no luck. One day I had the brilliant idea to head to Home Depot. I nearly cried with joy when I saw the entire aisle that showcased all kinds of wood tile flooring. Little did I know that you can't really buy one single, square foot of floor tiling. Thanks to the lady at the Home Depot who had to literally stifle a laugh in my face when I asked. Made me feel as if I had asked if there was a basement in the Alamo! But the joke was on her because I found just what I needed in the aisle over. So I grabbed a piece of plywood for the backdrop and headed back home with head held high. And this time I also decided to set up shop on the porch.

But I couldn't quite get enough detail. Totally frustrated, I tried to resist doing a Karate Kid type chopping block action on my plywood, took a deep breath and decided to go back to my original spot. This time I used my new set up. And the pictures turned out pretty good!

I'm happy to say that I can now take photos with ease. All you need is a bright day, two planks of wood and a teetering, unbalanced stack of books. 

Walk with the Dog: A Study in Crazy Florida Trees

The weather has been so cool and lovely these past few mornings. Winds and I have been enjoying some nice long walks in the parks by our house.  And this time I took the camera along! Check out some of the crazy trees we spotted...

 I love the circles the mower left behind around the base of this tree.

 Fuzzy-fuzz trees.

 Upside-down trees.

I call these brownie trees because they remind me of the crackle on top of Brownies once they bake. Mmmmmm...brownies.

My shadow is a giant!

What's New Wednesday - Bunny Bones

Just in time for Halloween, new bunny bones hoop art...

It never gets old...

This weekend the hubs and I got away for a one day trip to Disney. We're only about 70 minutes away, so oftentimes we make a quick jaunt over to the parks. These trips are always a nice little break from the day-to-day grind. It's a chance for us to detach ourselves from our computers, get away from work and connect with each other again. It's like recharging our batteries or, as we like to say, regaining all of our Zelda hearts. Needless to say, I'm super refreshed and inspired to get back into the studio/dining room and create!

Oh castle (le sigh).

This kid is awesome.

Me and the Hubs

Loved the way the sunlight was streaming in from the lobby window where we had lunch.

Wilo Tree Wednesday: What's New - Retro Rabbit Hoops

Hey blog buddy!  I hope the week has been treating you well.  The weather is starting to get a bit cooler down here in Florida. And by cooler I mean 'bout 86 degrees.  But I shall take it!  I do miss the leaves changing colors though. The leaves changing color rocks. Anyways, I'm so excited to share with you a new set of rabbit hoops. I've been really inspired by some of the work that fellow Etsians have been creating, especially those that are using retro-style fabrics. So I went to my favorite place (JoAnne Fabrics) and bought some new threads. Usually I'll go for whatever suits my fancy but this past visit was fun because I found myself looking for fabrics that reminded me of what I used to see around my grandmother's house when I was little. Maybe it's the "Fall-like" weather down here, but these last few hoops made me really nostalgic. I hope that maybe they stir up a few memories of your childhood too, ya know the ones where you're sitting on the living room floor with a bowl of Sugar Smacks watching the Care Bears? Ok, maybe that was just me.

2 Year Wedding Anniversary with the Hubs

I can't believe it, blog buddy, but tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of my wedding! We were married on a warm, windy day in a little white chapel surrounded by willow trees. It's funny, I never had the "I just knew" moment with anything else regarding the wedding. Both the photographer and the florist were referred to me from a friend. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law helped choose the bridesmaid's dresses with the accessories already picked out on Etsy (shout out!) months if not years before. And it was actually the look on my father's face when I came out of the dressing room that sold me on the gown. But as soon as I saw the photos of this little chapel on my then-fiance's phone I just knew. It was the place that I dreamed about as a little girl. Quaint and old-fashioned. Perfect. This past weekend my husband and I went back for a visit...

October 2011

October 2013

so lucky to have such a memory...

Busy weekend all around!

I'm happy to say, blog buddy, that I had a super fun and productive weekend. First and foremost, I got to accomplish one of my life long ambitions! When we were twelve, my cousin and I signed a pact on a piece of loose leaf that one day we'd go to Disney together. Twenty years later here we are in Epcot!! 

I also got to see a really cool cranberry bog and eat the biggest cookie I have EVER eaten.

BEHOLD!

Then today I got right down to business with some new ideas for hoop art and also more magnets. Here's a sneak peek at some new items that are on their way to the shop real soon...

Wilo Tree Wednesday - What's New!

This little piggy just added to the shop!

Must-have Mondays: Jennifer Davis

This week I decided to showcase the work of artist Jennifer Davis.  It's truly a "must-have" Monday selection because I feel that I MUST HAVE THEM ALL! Seriously, I love her work. I think the colors she chooses are beautiful! And overall I get the sense that she just has a lot of fun with her work. Take a look...

Gentle Giant

Bike Ride

Kitty

Turtle

Down Memory Lane

Morean Arts Center

In 2003 I moved down to Florida for two things: to be closer to my "now" husband and to start a job as a summer camp assistant director. I worked at a little community arts center right in the heart of downtown Saint Petersburg. At the time it was called simply "the Arts Center." And man did I love that job. This weekend I went back for a visit. It's kinda funny how that place feels like a second home to me even though I haven't worked there in years!  Also got to check out a sweet exhibit by artist Jono Vaughan...

Traveled into the gift shop and was so excited to see all of my hoop art buddies and butterflies showcased here and there - so cool!