mom . i love you

say you love your mom with a purchase (or 2) from MustardSeed by.carollai. mom's sure to love the handmade and unique jewelry. promo ends tomorrow! 10% off with a purchase of 2 or more. :D go to my shop for more info!

TGIF feature and GIVEAWAY :: lemondropstudio

it has been awhile since i've had one of my tgif feature and giveaways. i've been so busy with going out west for a month, welcoming the birth of my nephew, learning with my sis how challenging and rewarding motherhood can be and spending quality time with my mom and dad, who flew to calif from taiwan to be there for the momentous occasion as well.

for this feature and giveaway, i'm so excited to bring to you a fellow etsian whose work i just adore! :) being a graphic designer in my past life, i love the clean lines and colorful design on each notecard set and custom silhouette. i also fancy the prints that shauna creates! don't miss out... read her thoughts below and enter her awesome giveaway! ready... set... go! :)

Q. Who are you?

A. I am Shauna, owner of lemondropstudio, wife and best friend to my husband and Super Mom to my son Taylor who is almost three. We live in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon and love it here. Besides being with my family, I love to eat, entertain, blog, craft, shop, spend time outside and much more. Oh, and I occasionally snort when I laugh, usually laugh at all the wrong times and far too often take jokes a step further than appropriate.

Q. When did you open up shop and how did you come up with your shop name?

A. My etsy shop opened up May 21, 2008, I can't believe it's been almost a year. lemon drop studio got it's name from my husband, who seems to be a genius at naming things. We wanted something that fit my personality and style, and lemon drop studio just seemed to fit. And yes, he came up with that and my logo about 5 minutes after I asked for his help. Smart guy.

Q. What do you create and sell?

A. I create and sell a handful of fun, fresh-squeezed gifts. I create custom silhouettes, prints from my digital artwork in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, digital invitations and announcements, handmade greeting cards, note card sets, fun magnets and more. Phew... that feels like a lot.

Q. What is your favorite item in your shop?

A. My all time favorite are my silhouettes. Each one is custom for my customers, made using one of their digital images, which makes it unique and completely theirs! I love seeing a silhouette look just like the child, and I cherish the ones I make of my son, Taylor. It's lovely to create such meaningful gifts.

Q. What is your advice for newbie Etsy sellers?

A. My advice would be to just keep asking questions. Talk to other Etsians, try your hand at blogging, promote whenever you can, even in grocery store lines, but don't be pushy. I also think writing out your goals and making lists is a great idea. As well as participating in some small, local artisan fairs so you can get your name out!

Q. What is the passion on your heart or your burden for this world?

A. Simply this: do good. It's such a simple idea but can be so broad. I insist this upon myself and my family. We do good by treating our environment with respect, we do good by being kind to others, we volunteer and we strive to make the right choice, not the easy choice, every day. Whether it's recycling, holding open a door, letting someone cross the street or complimenting a stranger or smiling, we're always out to do good. It can be very powerful, and makes us happier people in the process. This quote sums it up: "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible" - Dalai Lama

Q. Lastly, what is your giveaway this fine TGIF!

(one giveaway winner will be selected at random the following Wednesday at 11.59pm EST. to enter, please comment below with your favorite item from 1. lemondropstudio and 2. MustardSeed by.carollai. 'follow' my blog and you'll receive an automatic second entry. :) blog about this giveaway and receive a third entry! remember to leave an email address because if you are the winner, you will want to be contacted!)

A. I'd love to give away a Grace. 10 note card flat set in Peacock. These are a favorite and are sure to please!!

for your eyes ::

it's so exciting when i make numerous pretty jewelry and finish the process of taking the pics, coming up with cleverly fitting names, and uploading everything to my etsy shop. for your eyes... here are some new items. go to my shop to see more.



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do you watch biggest loser? i'm a loyal fan. it's such a great show with purpose and meaning. helping those that are immensely overweight get into shape and learn how to eat more nutritiously and exercise properly. i just love it. today was their last challenge. what did they have to do? run the MARATHON!!! how crazy/exciting/intimidating... they all did it. 2 ran and 2 walked. truly, 17 weeks ago, none of them would've dreamed of even running or walking 1 mile. and after todays show, they did 26.2. i am so inspired. :)

so inspired that i applied for the NYC marathon. not that i'll get into it via the lottery but if i do, i'm doing it. :) i ran the san diego marathon in 2004. it had been hard and that was after and with lots of training. filled with discipline. we'll see how this time goes... if i do get in, i'd like to train with TNT (the leukemia and lymphoma society) again but we'll see. i love doing things for a cause so simply running it may not be as enjoyable.

this potential new venture is quite exciting!

overdue ::

love mom! last week to buy 2 or more and save 10% off entire purchase! :) details at my etsy shop.

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some days i have so much to say (but no time to update) and then other days i feel so blocked. mind blocked, i guess. today is one of those days but i've been gone too long and want everyone to know that i'm still here!

saturday was date day for the hubby and i since these days it seems we spend QT with other friends more than we do with each other. we headed to the brooklyn botanic garden to catch the last glimpse of the cherry blossoms. even a smidge post peak, they are scrumptious fluffy pink fellas. :) after maneuvering through flower filled paths, as is tradition, we headed to my favorite oxtail stew joint 3 blocks away. i used to intern in the crown heights area and found this great hole-in-the-wall serving oxtail stew and other jamaican delights. mmm.






in the evening, we saw the movie Adventureland. have you heard of it? i never had til i read the rotten tomatoes *high* review. :) rotten tomatoes is usually accurate and kips bay was playing it so our amc silver pass came into use. $6.50 or so for the amc pass sure beats the $12+ it is to see a movie these days.

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i'm donating 5 pieces of jewelry to the spring benefit for the private school i work at. they want to raise money and i want to gain exposure. :) hopefully people will like what they see and will check out my etsy shop. it's been interesting finding little ways to get my name out there. marketing is so important as i am just one little fishy in this great big sea of handmade arts. everybody has such unique things - i really wish there was a way for all of us to be readily found and seen.

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my nephew continues to grow and is as cute as ever. since i've been back i haven't *seen* him but these photos definitely warmed my heart. :D