Pay it Forward

I think only once before, I heard that certain Etsians do listings called PIFs or Pass It Forwards and I had completely forgot about this certain 'phenomenon' if you will up until a few days ago when I featured one lovely lady. Carole from Reduxredux on Etsy(Read the feature and enter the giveaway Here) kindly explained to me what a PIF was when she did one to promote The Eclectic Element, her feature and her ongoing giveaway.

"PIF stands for Pay It Forward. It's basically a listing that you post for free or nearly free in order to extend a kindness to someone else. Usually, after you purchase a PIF you post your own in your shop or do something else nice for someone. It's really fun - an addictive!"

After she explained what it was, I was curious so I went on Etsy and searched under the keyword 'PIF.'

I was flabbergasted!! There are over 85 pages of kind hearted Etsians who offer their goods and or services for free! Or a very deep discount where you only pay the listing price and shipping.

It amazes me how much the crafting and artist community can come together and help each other out. I swear, if the whole world were crafters and artists, I think this recession would be a lot easier.

This all makes me want to do more! I enjoy featuring artists and crafters, but I wish there was more that I could do. If you have a chance, go on over to Etsy and look through all the PIFs they have listed. If your really feeling in the mood, list a PIF of your own and join the movement!

When I get better and have the time, I'm definitely going to jump in the Pass it Forward undertaking =]

Love and Energies.
Kayla

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged!!

Annette over at Fairy Blog Mother tagged me in the 6 meme.

6 Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy:

1. Chocolate-Dark chocolate especially. I can't LIVE without my chocolate! Other people have to breath, I have to have chocolate.

2. Twilight-Or rather anything to do with Twilight.

No seriously, I am THE BIGGEST Twilighter you will meet. In fact, I'm going to dedicate multiple posts to the Twilight world in the near future.

3. Reading-I love reading. Some people don't get it, but when you can't do anything beyond laying in bed, reading helps you escape and go wherever you want to go.

4. Charlie-For those of you who aren't aware, my laptop's name is Charlie. Lol Without him, I would seriously shrivel up and blow away in the wind >.<

5. Antique Malls-I swear, I have to either go in with someone who loves them as much as me or by myself because on numerous occasions, people have gotten angry at me because I've spent a good 3 + hours in one. Lol

6. The woods-There is something about them that I love! I can spend all day just wandering, exploring and taking in their beauty.

Now for the 6 other bloggers to pass this on to:

1. A Jedi's Musings

2. A Simple Kinda Life

3.Caitlinesque

4.Crocheted Little Things

5.Free Sample Freak

6.Love and Lust

Small Talk Six-Guilty Pleasures

My goodness, it feels as though it was just yesterday when I posted the last Saturday's Small Talk Six question and answers! My how time flies by when your having oh so much fun *rolls eyes*

Welcome to another Small Talk Six brought to you by MomDot. Hop on over and check out their latest doings!

Our topic today...

6 things that make you sick, but you eat them anyways

So In other words, guilty pleasures....

Lets have a looksy at what I can't have but eat anyway! Lol


I like experimenting! I thought I would do something a little different instead of writing sentences today =]

An Ode to The Golden Girls

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, I was thinking of what theme I would take this Saturday and quite frankly, I couldn't think of anything meaningful. Lol

So I just went with the television show I was watching at the time...

One of my personal favorites: The Golden Girls

Of course when I Etsy searched 'The Golden Girls' we know a scrabble pendent was going to come up! I swear those things are like little tributes to anything and everything someone might possibly want =]

THE GOLDEN GIRLS SCENE 2

From Pendantlicious

I wasn't just looking for things with their faces or photos on them; I was looking for things that reminded me of the show and each character. This dress certainly reminded me of Blanches character! I'm certain she would have wore this if she got the chance ;-)

The Golden Girl Dress

From Dirty Bird Vintage

Do you know how hard I laughed when I came across these magnets!? The cheesecake is what sets it over the top! If I could, these would be mine =]

Ode to The Golden Girls

From Elloh

I went in search of Sophia's imfamous purse on Etsy, but unfortunately, this was the closest thing I could find...I think I did pretty well though(She had that baby throughout the whole 7 seasons)!

Vintage Wooden Beaded Purse Jana of Japan

From Grannies Pannies Vintage

And who could pass up this lovely!? I mean it has them all, eating cheesecake, in the kitchen! Although I do have to say the purse could be drawn better. Lol

Greeting Card set of 5 ... Ode to The Golden Girls

From Elloh

Reduxredux Feature and Giveaway(6/10)

It seems to be Friday again and boy let me tell you, this whole week has felt like Friday over and over again! Don't ask me why, but this whole week was spent thinking it was a day ahead of the actual date, so you can see how that really messed with my feature schedule and other postings. Lol

But anyway we made it unscathed(at least I hope you all did) and with another Friday feature and giveaway planned!

I do have to say this is a fun one :D So go ahead and meet our featured Etsy artist, Carole of Reduxredux on Etsy!

Now, before you ask what Carole's shop name means, it is already knowingly posted in her Shop Announcement:

re • dux (rē-dŭks'): [adj] brought back; returned; resurgent

So from that description, you can already guess what her shop has to offer! Just in case you didn't guess, Reduxredux offers Eco-Friendly Handmade Gifts recovered from discarded materials and repurposed for consumer usage.

A little bit about Carole and her lovely shop:

Carole is a resident of Coral Springs in South Florida and started her journey along the crafting highway(yes, the crafting highway!) when she realized that she was working so much so, that she didn't remember the last time she just had fun. So crafting has become a balance between her working world and her fun world.

As for her real life job, Carole is a speech-language pathologist and university professor who specializes in working with children and adults who have almost no speech at all due to things like autism, cerebral palsy, or stroke. "It's a wonderful career and so much fun!"

With her crafting, Carole likes to refer to herself as eclectic, divulging and exploring many crafting techniques and mediums. At the moment, she does quite a bit of paper crafting with reclaimed and repurposed materials, some of which include old jewelry, paper scraps, plastic bags, tins, and pretty much anything that started out life as something else! Lol

For her, inspiration comes from people who do a lot with little. "It is a fun challenge to look at something that someone is ready to throw away and figure out a creative use for it"

I love the advice she has to offer! "Be kind and gentle to yourself. Be okay with not being perfect. Treat yourself the way you would treat a friend."

Some things you should know about Carole and her shop:

*She loves custom orders so don't hesitate to convo her!

*You get Free samples with each order. How awesome is that!?

*She only accepts paypal at this time and payment must be received within 3 days

*We ship using either USPS First Class or Media mail and is shipped within 2 to 3 days of initial purchase.

And Guess What!?

Carole has generously agreed to do a giveaway!

You could Win a Windie from her shop Reduxredux!

*Pictured above*

Here is some information on the Windie:

Windies, decorative strings of beads and charms that add joy to a window or mirror.

All Windies and Dashies contain elements that have been recovered or repurposed making each one charmingly unique.

Adorn your life. A dash of color. A hint of sparkle. A touch of whimsy.

So here is what you gotta do to win one of those lovelies:

Rules:

1. You MUST include a way to reach you whether it be an email or blogger URL.

2. Each comment, mandatory and or extra, has to be separate.

Manditory Entry:

Head over to Reduxredux and tell us which Windie you would want if you won. The whole selection description can be viewed Here.

* If mandatory entry isn't completed, all other entries will be deleted

Extra Entries:

1. Follow my Blog(1 extra)

2. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway leaving a link when your done.(2 extra)

3. Perform a Random Act of Kindness for anyone(besides yourself-Lol-) and in a comment, let us know what you did. (1 extra)

4. Blog this giveaway leaving a link to the post(3 extra)

5. Purchase something from Reduxredux on Etsy(5 extra)

*When you purchase, make sure you refer to this contest in the 'message to seller' section

That's 1 mandatory entry + 12 extra entries which = 13 entries total!

Good Luck!

This contest will run until Wednesday June 10, 2009 11:59 pm central standard time. I will contact the winner within 24 hours of drawing their name. You have 72 hours to claim your prize and send me your shipping information. If I haven't heard from you within that time frame, I will choose another winner.

One Lovely Blog Award

Ironically, I got the One Lovely Blog Award from Four lovely ladies!

And I tell you, I couldn't feel more special :D

A big thanks to Audrey from Audrey's Country Crafts , Brandie from Free Sample Freak, Karen from Mystic Wynd, and Annette from Fairy Blog Mother! If you have a chance, go ahead and visit them all!

Here are the rules to receiving this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So here are the 15 blogs I've picked.

Please take time and visit these wonderful blogs!

1. J. Leigh Designz

2.the b-line

3.The Mommy-Files

4.Metropolitan Mama

5.Prissy Green

6.Ambient Girl Designs

7.Crafted by Lindy

8.Ella Scott Jewels

9.Escapades in Color

10.Grammy Janet's Place

11.Jen's Bookshelf

12.Just Jules

13.Kind Over Matter

14.Laughing Vixen Lounge

15.She Scribes

I'm off to let you all know :D

Individually Designed Gorgeousness-Jemima Lumley

Very quickly it seems that the batch of potential features I accumulated the past few weeks have become full fledged features here on The Eclectic Element, so it was that time again...Yes, I went and hit the forums for more artists, crafters, and companies looking to be featured!

I had an overwhelming response this time, one being the lovely jewelry artist featured today! Say a warm hello to Jemima of Jemima Lumley Jewellery on Etsy =]

Unlike many artists I feature, Jemima is located in the United Kingdom! Bristol to be exact. And again, unlike a lot of artists, she just recently discovered crafting within the last 3 years. Before she fell into crafting, she had been an art director in children’s publishing for over 15 years! As she said, It was more of a gradual thing then something planned.

Does someone just fall into crafting? And if they do, how? Apparently Jemima did(multiple times in fact) and this is how she did it: "After I went freelance in 2004, I found that I would have hours or days when I was a bit quiet, so I took up crochet again. From there I started making scarves, wraps and corsages for selling locally, and then bits of jewellery came along – first charm bracelets with little crochet flowers, then necklaces and finally lariats. These I started selling to local shops, but I soon found I was bored of the repetitive nature of the work. I took a class one morning a week, in silver jewellery making, which I loved from day one! In 2007 I applied to the local art college for their one day a week jewellery course, and from then on I’ve devoted myself to working in silver. I’m lucky to have a studio that is also a shop, so people can buy direct and see me working!"

So now, as you can tell by her stunning jewelry designs, Jemima had devoted her time to being a jeweller.

You can find anything from gorgeous pendants and necklaces to quite unique earrings, bracelets, rings, and cuff links. Of course I'm a huge jewelry-o-holic so I love it all! Lol

If you happen to just wander into her shop and gasp at the prices, do.not.worry! Her jewelry is made with THE BEST material you can get. Like seriously, it's high quality, top notch, holy-crap-is-that-fill in the blank with highest quality material-real. So if your looking for quality, you just found it.

The materials she uses, like stated above, are the best. Anything from silver to gold and topaz and rubies, they are quality =] Like she said, 'Nothing cheap!'

Some things to know about Jemima and her shop:

*You can find her personal website Here.

*Here are some other places you can purchase her jewelry: Hannah Zakari, Folksy, Paper n Stitch, and finally 800 Muses.

*Each jewelry piece of hers is unique!

*For payment, shipping, returns and other details, visit her Shop Policies.

Some advice Jemima was kind enough to share with us is: "Stick at it! If you love it, don't give up. Have really good photos taken - don't stint on them, you'll regret it! Promote, promote, promote!" Always good to hear advice from other people :D

So whatever the occasion is whether it be a graduation, wedding, or birthday, I would definitely say go ahead and check out Jemima Lumley on Etsy for that perfect extravagant gift. Heck, if you want to treat yourself to something outrageously gorgeous, I say go for it!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

sterling silver cuff

long dangly bird earrings

pierced lace flower pendant

The Voices of Lyme Disease-Breaking the Silence

My friend Victoria who also suffers from Lyme Disease made this video when we first became friends. In the video, she sums up the life of a Lymie very perfectly while featuring a few such as myself and another friend of ours.

Please watch this and learn from what is shows you; This is preventable!

I just want to thank all of you for coming back each Thursday in the Month of May. It means very much to me and the other people who suffer from Lyme Disease.

If you all have any comments, questions, or concerns, make sure to let me know! I'm happy to talk with you about this =]

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Congradulations To...

So two of my giveaways ended yesterday and I thought before I kill you all with the suspense, I will announce the winners via Random.org...

But first(he he), A BIG thank you to Good Karma Soaps and Perfect Partz for sponsoring these wonderful giveaways!! And of course, to all of you who participated in them :D

The Winner of the $25.00 Gift Certificate to Good Karma Soaps on Etsy is...

**Drum roll**

Badger Momma!

Badger Momma said...
67

I've blogged.

http://badgermomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/good-karma-soaps-25-gc-ends-528.html

May 21, 2009 6:02 AM

The Winner of the Little Notes in Portfolio: Urban Style from Perfect Partz on Etsy is...

*Drum roll*

Aik!

Aik said...
6

I love the Sterling Silver Hammered Earrings from Mystic Rose Designs.

aikychien@yahoo.com

May 23, 2009 5:49 AM

Congratulations to the winners and I will be contacting you with the great news! You have 72 hours to get back to me with your shipping info and if I don't hear from you, I will pick another winner.

Saturday at the Flea Market

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I way overdid it this weekend, so I wasn't able to take and or load pictures until now.

So here are the lovely pictures from my excursion to the annual Memorial Day flea market in Rockford:

(It's funny cause now that I blog, I take the camera EVERYWHERE!)

Here are just some of the vendors that set up for the weekend. It was easily a 150 to 200 vendor market that wrapped around the whole building's parking lot it was held in!

Of course one of the vendor's merchandise. I was particularly taken with the turquoise Foo Dog to the right :D Although it wasn't breath-taking, I love anything oriental(Plus I already have a cast iron one).

I had to take a picture of this little guy when I came upon him because he reminded me so much of my friend. It was the little look on his face between creepy and mischievous that reminded me of him -Lol-

And of course my best bargain of the day:

It was amazing! The guy had multiple jars and bags of junk and usable jewelry for sale. After viewing most of them and picking and choosing what was worth the price, I came up with the pickle jar above. And Guess what? It was HALF OFF O.o I got it for a mere $7.50!

I think I will keep you all guessing on whats in it until another post ;-)

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Love and Energies.

Kayla

Accessories for the Modern Home-Luxe Living

I'm very excited for today's featured artist! Not only are we doing a feature swap, but this is the first feature that I get to do aprons :D I don't know what it is, but I'm on a big apron kick the past few weeks! I just love looking at them and envisioning myself baking and cooking in the ones that I like.

Okay, I know the suspense is killing you all so without further delay, our featured artist is Sylvia of Luxe Living on Etsy!

While your looking at her store, check out her blog Luxe Living on Blogspot. Follow the Luxe Living blog for recent projects, giveaways, and crafty tips.

As Sylvia would say, she's a proud Texan! A long standing resident of Austin Texas, she has always had a love for making things, whether it be sewing, making and designing jewelry or working with paper crafts. However, what really got her started was cooking.

"I grew up in my family's restaurant and always considered cooking one of the greatest crafts."

I personally can't cook worth a darn, but I envy those who can! I think cooking is a great form of expression and not to mention oh-so-yummy :D

Sylvia primarily works on making vintage style aprons and kitchen accessories, but her shop also features some of her jewelry creations. "Most I wear myself so they never make it to Etsy!" Oh boy do we have that in common! Lol

With her aprons, Sylvia 'love love loves' using vintage 50's style fabric. Apparently, she has quite a stash! The one object she can't live without when creating is her trusty singer featherweight.

It's so fun going through Luxe Living because it reminds me of 'I Love Lucy.' Seriously, the whole look and feel of her store takes you back to a different time from her cute little vintage inspired aprons to her simple but lovely jewelry creations. Her tags are even 5o's looking!

Her prices are great too. I have seen aprons like hers going for an ungodly amount, but you can find single aprons to mother daughter aprons for $29 to $40 dollars.

Her cute little jewelry pins and sets start all the way from about $3 dollars and can go up to $22.50.

I definitely think that Sylvia's store, Luxe Living, is worth a look! If your into the whole vintage and or retro scene, then her aprons and accessories are right up your ally. And don't forget her blog! Show some love and follow on blogger for some wonderful tips and tricks from Sylvia herself :D

Love and Energies.
Kayla


Items in Blog:

Veggie Print Apron

Ruby Red Glass Necklace and Bracelet Set

Buckaroo Doggie Bandana

Win It Wednesday

Welcome to another Win It Wednesday!

Here are some giveaways and contests you can't pass up:

Win a Pair of Hand-Dyed Yoga Pants from Shining Shakti!

Ends June 12, 2009

These pants are so AWESOME! If I had the $$ I would totally buy them myself because I plan on registering for a yoga class when I get better.

Enter Here.

Win a Stiletto Stylist Kit from Foot Petals!

Ends June 6, 2009

I swear, this looks like a dream come true! I plan on purchasing a few pairs of heels when I get better and this would surley make the transition much smoother(if not less painful).

Enter Here.

Win an Aura Spray Set from Aunt Vi's Garden!

Ends June 1, 2009

I'm not sure if any of you know, but I'm very much into metaphysical aspects such as auras, chakras, the paranormal, etc. So this is just amazing for me!

Enter Here.

Spice Up That Kitchen-MagnetGames

'Play with your fridge, not your food' adorns the shop banner of today's featured artist Susan and her Etsy shop, Magnet Games. And as you can see, is a very accurate prediction of what kind of merchandise she has in her shop!

Currently, Susan is a resident of an island in the Pacific Northwest called Mercer Island in the state of Washington. However, she has lived a few other places including the desert and in the smallest state in the U.S.

As a new graduate, Susan hopes to teach math in the fall. In the mean time, she also tutors mathematics and computer science students. Sometimes she also rights code and hopes to developing her own software soon. So needless to say, Etsy is a side venture as of now. May I just say, that's very impressive! I respect teachers very much, especially those who go out of their way to help their students succeed.

Susan has always loved to craft and create things. At this moment, she is solely working with perler beads. "I design games for your fridge (mario, tic-tac-toe, tetris, etc.) I am also kind of a nerd and as a result I make other nerdy items out of perler beads, like glasses and veggie burgers!" An example of those glasses can be viewed to the right(and I have to say the picture makes me giggle each time I look at it!)

In our interview, Susan tells me that with her fun and crazy artwork, she hopes to make everyone's kitchen a bit more colorful. She wants you to be able to turn your fridge into a little mini-hangout while your family is preparing dinner. "I have lots of educational and conversation inspiring ideas in the works."

Seriously, going through Susan's store, is like reverting back to a little kid! It makes me want to go out and play. Lol She has things like video game inspired fridge magnets like Mario and Tetris to funny things like mustache magnets and nerdy glasses in every shape, size, and color you could imagine.


Some things to know about Susan and her shop:

*You can catch her on Blogger, Twitter, and Flickr.

*She accepts paypal, money order, personal check, or concealed cash.

*She ships anywhere in the world. All orders will be mailed first class within 2 days of payment.

I have to laugh at what advice she shared with us. Lol

"Don't go into the forums, they steal their souls. haha. but more seriously, don't ever give up!"


This is one of those features that has you giggling every so often while doing it! Lol Susan of Magnet Games on Etsy is fun and crazy and that's what I love about her style! Don't take my word for it though; In her own words, "I am super awesome and want to be your friend! Stop by and say Hi!"

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

PacMan Magnet Set (36 pieces)

Green Nerd Glasses

Tetris Magnet Set (21 pieces)

Tweakin Me Blog

As you can all see, I'm doing a little blog renovation.

So bear with me the next few days as I remove, redo, and refurbish my blog into something similar but different if that makes any sense at all.

I guess I'm just tweaking it a little bit, but not redoing the whole thing.

Any suggestions or tips? I welcome the help!

Love and Energies.

Kayla

Inspirational Tuesday

"Life is ephemeral. It is forever changing as we are swept along in the relentless flow of time. Let us remind others nothing can be undone. They should live without remorse, because this is the only life they have."

--Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

I'm a big fan of manga and anime and one of my favorites, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, had this quote in one of their later episodes. As one of the characters was reciting the quote, I had to write it down before I forgot it.

(Of course it took me like 3 tries to get the whole quote, but I finally got it)!

I love this quote so much because it's very truthful! Just as were in charge of our own life, sometimes you have to stop and realize that everything in life doesn't last and time goes by so fast, certain things can't be undone.

But that's no reason to regret past expierences or decisions because if we dwell on those, then we miss out on the rest of life.

Thats why I know my mistakes are in the past and I don't dwell on them because I know I can't change them and quite frankly, I don't think I would change them if given the chance. They were made for a reason and now you have to 'live and learn.'

Live life with no regret because if you don't, your going to miss out on everything else life has to offer.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Live Like a Wildflower-Sunken Garden Beads

“May your life be like a wildflower… growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day”

-Native American Proverb

That is the quote I found for today's featured artist and I think it's absolutely perfect for the jewelry in question.

Erin's lovely jewelry and supplies remind you of the beauty and joy each day presents, just like that of our Mother and her wonderful creations.

What does this all have to do with Erin's shop you may ask-Well it IS called Sunken Garden Beads! Ha ha

A fairly new crafter to the Etsy world, Erin is a resident of a little town in southern California where she has been since she can remember. "I can probably navigate it quite well with my eyes shut." When she was around 6 or 7 years of age, she received her first bead kit for Christmas. It was only a bunch of plastic beads with hemp cord, but she was hooked(Like us all)!

I am SO VERY JEALOUS at her part-time job! She works at Adams Avenue Bookstore in San Diego. "Awesome used books and amiable book-loving friends since summer 2007." I tell you, that would be so amazing! Etsy is just a side job she came to have in March of this year. Originally, she was looking for a place to sell her photography, but when she stumbled across etsy, it was her jewelry that found there way on.

Just like a lot of us crafters, Erin takes a fancy to whatever catches her attention. Some examples of her trades are of course her jewelry design and photography, but not limited to calligraphy, drawing, sewing, writing, and origami (just to name a few)!

Some favorite materials of hers are semiprecious stones, interesting vintage and ancient beads, colorful glass, silver, and her faithful Nikon D40x camera.

Of course you all know I live and breath a variety of jewelry, so going through her shop Sunken Garden Beads and seeing her 'style' was a treat for me. Erin has a dainty style that somewhat

reminds me of nature(hence the above quote).

Of course there is something for everyone's price range! From supplies starting at $0.75 to earrings priced to sell going for $8.00 to finally lovely necklaces for $27.50. Some of her stuff is a little more expensive, but the materials used for those make it well worth it!

Some things to know about Erin and her store:

*Want something custom made? Erin would be glad to do it! Just message her with the details =]

*She has a blog! Check it out Here.

*You should look her up on Myspace and Facebook. Just search Sunken Garden Beads.

*Follow her on Twitter @sgbeads

As a short lived tradition, I asked Erin for some advice and this is what she had to share with us:

"You won't be successful by being a copycat, even a talented copycat. Always push yourself to think outside the box and create things that are uniquely you. Use unusual color combinations and experiment with your materials. People will respect you more for being brave and original."

Another talented artist for this lovely Monday! Remember, strive to live your life like a wildflower; With beauty and joy. And speaking of beauty and joy(great segway right?!), go on over to Erin's Etsy shop Sunken Garden Beads and have a look around! You never know what
you will take a liking to =]

Love and Energies.

Kayla

Items in Blog:

Squiggleberry Earrings - Handformed Silver Wire and Seed Beads

Sand and Sea Foam Earrings - Wire-wrapped Smoky Quartz and Crystal

Cinderella Earrings - Wire-wrapped Lucite and Sterling Silver(Sold)

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to another Mailbox Monday here at The Eclectic Element!! I hope you all enjoyed last weeks The Making of a Good Cause and the ending result =]

I hope to do more series as time goes on because frankly, I love doing them! They are just so darn fun and they keep me pretty occupied.

Anyway, here is everything I got in the mail for this past week(and I know, I kept a list to remember everything):

Oh yes. In the mail one day last week, I got me my federal tax return!! *Cha ching*

The funny thing was, we didn't realize that I could file for a tax return until the very last day-April 14th.

But I did it all by myself(federal and state), sent them babies in, and then waited, which rewarded me with a nice $167.00!

Happy day! I'm still waiting for my state one =]

I got my $2.00 off coupon from Free Sample Freak(TOTALLY go over and check her site out. So may freebies, so little time)!

It was so awesome because I love dove products. Unfortunately, I haven't been up and 'out' for myself in awhile so I decided to play nice and gave the coupon to my sister who is also a big dove product fan =]

Finally, my friend Suzy(who was the one who introduced me to E.A.R.S) also is a fellow Lymie. Her current treatment consists of going to Switzerland to a special clinic and doctor. I was very interested in who and what she was doing treatment wise, so when I asked, she said she would send me a pamphlet. Well, little did I know she meant book! She was so sweet to order me a book on Amazon about what she was doing!

I skimmed it(before my mum hijacked it from me) and it's so interesting!! I can't wait to implement some of the things they talk about.

Wing Ding 2009-WHY!?

Do you know how DEPRESSED I am right now!? No, I don't think you do. View the picture above with all those amazingly wonderfully awesome ROCKIN' bands.

Yes, that is Wing Ding 2009.

*sigh*

Wing Ding is something that happens in Rockford every year this time that combines 8 to 12 awesome bands every year in one place. I was able to go last year because I had done the hbot so I was doing pretty good at that time and let me say: OMFG.

I had the best time:

*Mosh pits(I didn't go in one mind you, but I was tired of being shoved around so I kicked someone pretty good when they came around)

*Being way up front near the stage

*My favorite bands

*Singing and rockin along as they perform

*Hanging with and seeing all your friends

COME ON! I'm so upset I can't go this year. Like seriously down in the dumps ='[ They have a great line-up this year too. Of course Saliva, Saving Abel, 10 Years, Powerman 5000(Why?!), Shinedown, and a few others I'm not familiar with.

Here are some pictures from last year.

I guess the memories will have to sustain me.

*Another Sigh*

The crowds when I arrived at the second band

The stage and crowd. I was waaaaaaaaay up in front!

Me and some of my friends. Thats a bad picture of me because by that time, I was filthy with dust and dirt(It was held at a speedway)

Small Talk Six-The Ocean

Happy Saturday everyone! Well, okay so 'Happy' isn't much of a descriptive word for me today, but I don't wanna drag the convo down!

As you all know, with Saturday and all it's weekendness comes Small Talk Six over at MomDot.com!

Today's topic: 6 Things you Love or Hate About the Ocean

So here goes nothing!

1. I love the vastness of it. When you look out and past everything else, you feel so tiny and it makes you realize and come to grips with the fact that you are mortal and insignificant in the eye of the Mother.

2. I hate the fact that when your swimming in deep water, you always have that stupid Jaws theme song going through your head.

"Da Da. Da Da. Da Da Da Da Da Da"

3. I love the color of the ocean. It's a mix of blue and green; It reminds me of turquoise and that's the only place you can find turquoise water :D

4. I'm not too fond of the whole rip tide thing. When I was little around 9 years old, I dove into the ocean being the fearless kid I was and didn't realize I hit a rip tide until I came up a few seconds later and surfaced 4 whole buildings from where my family was situated. I spend the next few hours wandering up and down the beach looking for my family.

The funny thing was I thought they had left ME, so as I was wandering up and down I was pissed off. Looking back now, I realize the seriousness of the situation .

5. I love the fact that there is 'over 6 million dollars worth of treasure on the bottom of the ocean' as the movie Into the Blue claims. I mean seriously, how AWESOME would it be to be a treasure hunter and find a sunken ship with millions?! Don't laugh, but I want to be a treasure salvager for a couple years when I grow up!

6. I hate that you don't know what your swimming with. Don't get me wrong, I love that there are so many wonderful and unique species in the ocean, but some of those bite, sting, carry disease, kill and your taking chances when you swim. Lol

Kinda like the game chicken. 'Will I run into something that's gonna bite me this time?'

Love and Energies.

Kayla

My Little Sister is Little No More!

My little sister is little no more! Goddess, today is the day she graduates high school and it's hitting me in little bouts at a time. This whole past week, I've been going through each minute normally, but sometimes when I see everyone preparing for the graduation party or running out to get shoes to wear to the ceremony, It hits me!

Just yesterday I remember being a freshman and dreading my sister coming to high school the next year because it wouldn't be 'just mine' anymore and now I'm out and she's getting out of there too and moving on to bigger and better things.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to do a lot of posting this weekend, but I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial day, first of all, and second let everyone know I'm still here, just a little preoccupied.

I'm also coming up with a 'new' blog so that's taking some of my time.

Busy busy busy!

Love and Energies.

Kayla

Soulful Eyes-MichaelShapcott

Happy Friday everyone! Today we have quite an unusual featured artist, but in a very magnificent way! When I first looked at his paintings in his shop, my breath was literally taken away! His artwork is so soulful-Just look into the eyes he drew in the picture to the left. It seems as if the child is actually looking through you.


This talented artist is Michael of MichaelShapcott on Etsy!

As you can see, Michael is a full time artist who at this time, lives in central Connecticut with is Fiance(who ironically is a big Etsy addict and got him started on the site ;-).

Michael began drawing at an early age and in high school, he realized art would be a life-long passion. Ultimately, he was right and in 2007, graduated from Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut.

Shortly after, he started to exhibit his work at small group showings and local establishments, which has since been very successful, and which has grown into showcasing his work all over the country!

Now that is what I call a nice slice of success =]

Some of the buyers and viewers of Michael's work have called them powerful, inspiring, and filled with emotion.

When asked, Michael told me that his favorite mediums to work with are a blend of graphite, acrylic, and oil. As you can see, his specialized technique uses most all of those mediums in one way or another and that's what makes it so beautiful! Different textures bring alive the artwork in my opinion.

Inspiration comes different to everyone and in Michael's case, symbols from dream imagery, folklore, and personal memories are the major inspirations and elements of his work.

Some advice he has to share with us is: 'Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't have a unique and chosen lifestyle. You know yourself better than anyone else and you have to do what makes you happy.'

Some things to know about Michael and his store:

*In addition to painting, Michael creates art videos that track the process of painting a painting and show his unique style of working.

*You can purchase prints and t-shirts of my work by visiting Here.

*He has his own website! If you want to know more, visit Michael Shapcott.com.

*At the moment, Paypal is the only accepted form of payment!

*All items are shipped USPS First Class Mail and will be shipped within 3 days of initial order.

Now, you are going to REALLY have to love his work if you want to buy one, because like any up-and-coming pieces of artwork, they are a bit on the pricey side. However, I can tell you that I'm so taken with these pieces that If I had a lot of extra money to spare, I would definitely be looking in his shop!

I like what I see and for me to say that about a piece of artwork, I really mean it. Don't get me wrong, there are the 'cute' and 'adorable' things now and again and even the 'beautiful' and 'nature inspired' that I love, but these have soul which, as corny as it sounds, 'calls out to me.'

Love and Energies.

Kayla

Items in Blog:

Sun Child 1

Seer

Firefly