Our Shop Is Featured!

Over Memorial Day Weekend our shop was FEATURED on the Etsy Fort Worth Blog for "Memorial Day Finds" You can check it out here! http://etsyfortworth.blogspot.com/2009/05/memorial-day-finds.html I am just so excited and flattered!!! Thank you Etsy Fort Worth.

Sharing the Handmade Love!--Two Great Causes <3

I have been blown away lately by the people I have met on Etsy! These guys truely care for one another and they strive to spead the JOY of buying handmade items. I have recently discovered two incredible causes that I wish to tell everyone about. Help me thank these companies for what they are doing by clicking on their links and seeing what they are all about!

Self Production Design

These Estians have a wonderful swaray of georgous promotion product with which they have had great success on Etsy. Their comments are tops and I am planning on ordering my own! (see picture below) So, what do they do with all that success?? They give back by offering FREE advertising and promotion goods to their fellow sellers on Etsy. Incredible! Not only that, but they are giving away products from featured shops each week. Short on money? This is a great way to win some Quality Handmade items. Click on the link below to learn more about how to win great stuff, and read about their featured weekly sellers!

http://selfproductiondesign.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-blog-feature-makers-mark.html

(Here's the item I will be purchasing shortly! Take look at my pictures in my etsy shop and let me know which ones I should add to this gallery card. I need nine so the more suggestions the better! Thanks!) http://www.wechoosejoy.etsy.com/

The Handmade Movement

Ok...this cause is run by Phipps. He is a T-Shirt designer with his own shop on Etsy as well as an incredible blog called The Handmade Movement. Twice a week they pick a handfull of Etsy sellers who are struggling with sales, or maybe having a hard time getting their name out there, or just brand new and they SNEAK ATTACK them :) I have done this a few times, it is so much fun! What is a Sneak Attack you might ask...well, supporters of this group get together at a designated time and pick 2 or 3 lucky etsians to purchase from. This helps give them a big boost in sales and gives them lots of great feedback on their shop for future shoppers to read. Then, Phipps blogs about them so that others can read about their shop and their wonderful products! "Sneak Attack" items can be purchased from supporters of this group by clicking on the sneak attack link on my side bar. Each Sneak Attack item sold will go twards purchases from featured stores on the Handmade Movement website to help get these new shops off to a great start.

Congratulations Peter!

Peter has been really busy this past year. He has completed his first year back in school while keeping up with his job at the Market. He made the Principal Chair in the Wind Symphony! He is well on his way to making the Trumpet his profession and I am so proud of him. At his last concert he was awarded the Director's award and a $500 scholarship. He had his Trumpet Barrier today which he aced! I am so grateful for how hard he works for our family! He treats me like a princess and he is my best friend. Thank you for all you do Peter! <3

Part of the trumpet section after their last concert of the Spring Semester. Peter looks so handsome :)

Mary Janes are Here!

I have been working on these for some time now...it just took me a while to get some pictures up! These are BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) this week! Hope you like them. :)

Yes! A Day Early!

I have been working all weekend to get my logo and some pictures taken for my new SHOP! I have barely nicked the surface of what I would like to do, but at least I have a place to put my handmade things! I just LOVE the feeling knowing that what I made will go to a great home and get some great use! There is not much up there yet (lots more to come)...If you see something you like please let me know! I would love to pay for the shipping myself! I have already received some great feedback, so please keep the comments, suggestions and ideas coming! I love hearing them! I will be posting more creations all week! PS-I need some more "models" for my items...so, if there is something you like that you think your child wouldn't mind modeling, please let me know, because I will greatly discount that item for you! Have a picture that you love? I can make adorable recycled felt pillows of any silouhuette(s). I need to make some more in different colors so I would only charge $20 to my blog followers to help me cover supplies, shipping, etc. Let me know! And don't forget to check out my etsy shop!

Thanks for you Support! It is SO greatly appreciated! :)

Feeling Crafty!

I have been feeling very crafty lately! I have been doing small projects since this past December and my need to create has just been getting stronger ever since! I have made lots of baby gifts, a purse, some new grocery bags, and sacks for my lunch food to go in so I stop using those little plastic ones. Seriously, I use about 20 a week to pack my lunch! I have decided to use this new found energy to start a shop where I can share my creations with family and friends! My shop will open on May 5th with a few things and will continue to grow with more fun stuff for all! I was trying do decide on what to sell, since most people specialize in just a certain area of things, but I could not stick to that and well, that just seemed to be boring! So...I am creating all sorts of things that I can use (if not now anyway..than at some point in my life)! From reusable cotton face pads, to lunch sacks, to children's play tents to, creations for game night, to anything else YOU can think of that makes you HAPPY or that just makes your life easier! It may just be something you think is silly, but I want to hear ALL your ideas! :)

200 Year Old Woman!

I take my lunch to work and usually just eat at my desk and surf the web. Well, sometimes that gets a little old and I look for other things to do. I got this brilliant idea on Monday that I would just do some stairs during my lunch break to get a little excersize in and keep my energy level up! Not running them or anything, just walking up and down them. Well, I decided to start that day. Just before eating my lunch I changed into my tennis shoes and started walking up our stairs...I am on the 12th floor and I got to the 22nd and thought, this isn't too bad so I turned around and went back down to the 7th floor and went back up to mine. It was a pretty good workout and I felt good afterward. I was so proud of myself! Well, Tuesday morning I got up and my legs were pretty sore. I was kind of wobbling around all day and when I went to bed last night every time Peter would bump into one of my legs I would wake up. When I woke this morning it was so so SO much worse! I seriously have to wait a minute every time I get up out of my chair before I can move. I have to use my arms to support all my weight in order to even get up! :) (I am laughing while I am writing this b/c I just can't believe I did this to myself and it is so funny) I REALLY can't remember if I have ever been this sore. I don't think I ever have. Even after running like 12 miles (quite some years ago)! Anyway....the point of this story is basically to say that all day today I have been walking/wobbling around like a "200 year old woman." lol... Well, I guess this ended up being a not-so-Brilliant idea after all! :) I hope that my legs feel better soon so I get back to working out again.

My New Obsession...

Etsy.com

I love this website! If you have never been you should. Anyone can sell anything as long as it is Handmade! They have some of the greatest stuff. Here's our Bynum Family Monogram I purchased. I have also purchased lots of fabric for an apron, quilt, purse and some other fun crafty stuff. I also found a really cute pair of earrings! I love to just browse around on this site...I could spend hours!

Gilli-Bean turns TWO!

Riding Up So High!! Basketball Tounament

Merry Go Round!

We had so much fun at Gillian's 2nd Birthday! She had it at Chuck E Cheese. These are a few pictures from her special day!

Back to Blogging

I realize I have been MIA on here lately! I have just not been making time for it like I should :( Well, with that said, I have decided to get back on it! For Valentine's Day Peter gave me a new camera! I love to take pictures and our old digital was from 2003 and cost about $400 and is the size of our video camera! So I am very, VERY happy to have a new one! Thank you Peter <3 !This also means lots of new pictures to come =)

Putting Up The Christmas Decorations

Peter got out all the Christmas decorations today! Don't you just love the Holidays!!!

Setting up the first piece of my 9 foot Christmas Tree!

Notice the fall decorations are still up on the book shelf and piano. I usually start the weekend after Thanksgiving and don't finish for about a week!

Rachel Came To Visit!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fun With Gillian

Peter recites a book to me called "My Little Love Bug"

If you have children, you should definitely read this book. It is too cute!

Gillian learns the science of magnification. She loves to do anything

to get a laugh (just like her Uncle Peter) She is always the star of any room =)

Zeniff and Tiffany's Wedding!

One beautiful day!

Zeniff, Tiffany, and Chris Williams

Husband and Wife!

Sweet Boy! <3>

Skyler slept through the entire ceremony. Congratulations Zeniff and Tiffany!

The Newest Addition To Our Family!

Mom, Dad, and Skyler

Uncle Peter

The Boys

Sweet Baby Boy!

Skyler Lee Rudd

Born October 10, 2008

6 lbs 15 oz 19 in long

We Love You So Much!

Pumpkin Carving Family

My little brother and sisters live in Idaho...too far for my

liking!!!, but they sent me some pictures of their holiday fun and

I though I would post them to show off their pumpkin carving talent!

The Talented Pumpkin Carvers!!!

Rachel's Wolf

David's Goofy Grin

Lorry's Goblins

Summer Projects

Peter and I love to do projects together! Whenever we have a free weekend you can usually find us at Lowes or Home Depot getting ready for a new project on the house. This summer we decided to build a new deck for the back yard. It took us about 20 hours from start to finish, but it was worth it! Here it is from start to finish. Everyone is invited over to come and enjoy it!!!

2030 pounds of Oklahoma Slate!

One step at a time. First the gravel...

Then the weed cover...

Then the sand...

Then the stone and mortar! The truck was so low to the ground, I thought it was going to bust!

The stone had to be laid piece by piece just like a puzzle. Getting all the pieces to fit took a little while.

Almost finished!

We finished the remainder of the mortar that evening and the next night or two.

All finished! Here it is! Our new deck!

We got the tent and furniture up the next weekend. Followed by Peter's grandmom's bird bath and the flowers! Time for the next project...!