{a walk in the park}

i haven't been feeling very creative these days since i've been somewhat overwhelmed and exhausted with a new job. this afternoon, the hubby and i took a walk in central park. such beautiful things before us. 

{time is precious}

so sorry i've neglected you. my friends. time is indeed so precious and suddenly i find myself with so much less of it. can you believe i haven't touched my jewelry creating in almost 3 weeks??? craziness!

it has been a very busy time. i got a job. then the husband and i went to cabo for a last minute trip before i started work. cabo was beautiful. :) it was lovely and relaxing. my very first time at an all inclusive resort. ah. :) such a simple and easy life. wake up. have a buffet breakfast. put sunblock on. go to the pool. read. sleep. sit. sweat. go in the pool. swim around. play. put more sunblock on. :) ah... quite the life.

i started my job this past monday. it's been filled with learning and new things and challenges... a little scary but important for me to just throw myself into it. and so i've tried to do just that. my coworkers are nice so that's quite the blessing.

btw... the winner of the rebeccabeersmiller handknit bracelet was selected at random. congrat's cindy! rebecca has been notified and if she hasn't already, will contact you shortly.

more to come, hopefully sooner than later. drop me a line so i know you're still here with me. :) blessings!

{worthy wednesday} giveaway!

in this etsy community of known screen names and unknown faces, it's extra special for me to feature my "real life" dear friend, Rebecca. rebecca and i went to graduate school together to study the fine inklings and skills of art therapy. she was always one of those super friendly easy to talk to gals and we hit it off rather quickly. it wasn't until Christmas break of our final year though did we make an even deeper connection. whilst sitting in the barnes and nobles by NYU, she shared with me that she had chosen to re-dedicate her life to Christ. to this day, i still remember bursting with joy from within.

not only is rebecca awesomely sweet, kind and energetic - but she is truly an artist. in every sense of the word. she exudes 'art'. if you knew her, you'd know what i mean!

after opening up my etsy shop in jan '09 and loving & sharing "all things etsy", i'm so happy that my talented friend has opened up her etsy shop, rebeccabeersmiller, as well. she is very new to Etsy, so please show her some wonderful love and take a look around. if you love what you see, spread the word. or better yet, buy something! :D

a little bit about...
"I am a 32 year old artist, art therapist, art educator and clinician, as well as wife to a wonderful man and poet, David and cat mom to Nala. I have many, many interests and passions in life. High up there is my love for art, which has always been a defining part of my life and which I truly believe is a gift from God not to be underestimated. And because I believe that God is just, I believe strongly in working for justice, and that art, with its incredible power to move, inspire and heal, can be a great part of that."

"Currently, I work as an art therapist with teens with emotional and psychiatric disturbances, but really that's just a label. These are kids who have had bad- even horrific- things happen to them and now, rightly so, they're extremely angry and are acting out against the system and worldly authorities that failed to protect them. Jesus spoke passionately about the importance of society caring for and protecting its most vulnerable members, and so, in this way, I like to think about what I do as radical Kingdom work. As an artist and therapist, I hope that my passion and companioning will translate to them and help provide an outlet for self-expression and healing."

"I have to credit New York City, a place I love dearly and have called home for the last 10 years, for my latest venture into jewelry design. If it were not for my long commutes in this vast metropolis, I probably would not have the time to dream up and create my jewelry pieces!"

"My current jewelry work is rooted in my experiences as a knitter. Over time, I have challenged myself with different materials, which led to my current obsession with wire. The interesting thing about wire as media is that, though it can be bent, it essentially maintains a fixed tubular shape. However, in conjunction with more of itself it becomes a pliable form. It also has properties that make it hard to control and, in this way, working with this media is like an exercise in learning to let go."

"I started my Etsy site just a few months ago after friends and strangers on the train began commenting on my pieces and requesting to see more. I consider each of my jewelry creations as mini art pieces."

"Because another one of my passions is working towards justice and freedom for victims of sex abuse and trafficking, I donate a portion of my proceeds to Restore, a New York City non-profit that helps women escape enslavement from the sex trade. You can learn more about Restore's crucial work at Restore NYC.

{giveaway} Lady Chloe Bracelet

this beautiful bracelet is made with a thick gauge of brass, making it very sturdy, and tiny tortoise shell glass beads with celadon/black and itsy bitsy purple metallic seed beads. it attaches with a fancy gold plated triple barrel slide clasp. measures approximately 7" in circumference (which, how perfect!, is the average wrist size of a woman).

to enter:
for one entry, take a look in rebeccabeersmiller's shop and my shop. leave a comment telling us your favorite item from each shop. leave your contact info as you'll definitely want to be contacted if you're the winner!

for additional entries, follow my blog, become a fan of my FaceBook page (where you will be the first to learn of special discounts and updates), post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter about this giveaway or buy something from either of our shops. :) the last gains you 5 extra entries! make sure to leave a separate comment for each. there is no limit so enter as often as you wish!

since i will be away from 7/24-7/31 {in los cabos!!!!}, this giveaway will run til friday july 31st at 11.59pm (EST). that means more time for all of you! :) wonderful news, indeed.

{the winner} of the amazing Paco+Lupe bag chosen at random by random.org is k.ro! :) congrat's! i've informed the featured artist and she should be contacting you shortly. you are one lucky gal!

{production}

bohemian summer . earrings $36.oo
pacific dusk . earrings $30.oo
sea flora . bracelet $28.oo
heavenly bliss . earrings $28.oo
joie de vivre . earrings $28.oo
summer breeze . necklace $30.oo

{giveaway} paco+lupe

i am so excited to share this week's giveaway with all my readers that i've decided to begin it a few days earlier. :P {on a general whole, i was thinking it'd be nice to provide a longer giveaway duration - so these hump day giveaways may be here to stay!}

one day whilst etsy stalking, i came upon paco+lupe. i thought their handbags were the sweetest most wonderful things so i asked if she would let me feature her and provide a giveaway on her behalf. lucky for me {and you!}, she agreed. below is a look at some products and "the face" behind paco+lupe.

A little bit about…

Hi, my name is Celia. I live in the suburbs just west of Montreal with my very supportive husband, Csaba, and my darling cat, Joya. I started Paco+Lupe back in June 2007 so it’s been just a little over two years since its start. I specialize in home décor (pillows, quilts) and handbags. I design and make my own bag patterns. Putting pieces together, that’s the best part of designing. Picking out which fabric to use, that’s the self-indulgent part of my job. I confess, I am a fabric-freak. But before all this began, I worked for a big IT company as a senior consultant for almost 13 years where I was doing management and “techie”, “geekie” stuff. Yes, I am a geek as well. Why the big change? Even though I enjoyed that career, it eventually reached a dead-end. I was no longer growing from it. After thinking very hard, I changed my life drastically…as well as my husband’s. I could not do this without him AND the support of my friends, who are my biggest fans. So, why not go towards something that will make you happy? Yes, it is a lot of hard work owning my own business but it is rewarding.

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

Oh my, this is a really tough question. I can not choose just one passion. Living to love my family and friends.

However, there is one thing for me that is both a passion and a burden. How to have more compassion in this world? My paternal grandmother used to say to me: Do to others what you would have them do to you. I think this is called the “Golden Rule”. If we just remember this rule and learn to apply it everyday…can you imagine?


{giveaway} Fields of Joy (Java) bag.


to enter:
take a look in Paco+Lupe's shop and in my shop. comment on what your favorite item from each shop is. that's one entry! :)

for additional entries, follow my blog, become a fan of my Facebook page (where you will be the first to learn of special discounts and updates), post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter about this giveaway or buy something from either of our shops. :) the last gains you 5 extra entries! make sure to leave a comment with what you've done. there is no limit so leave as many comments as you wish! also, leave your contact info as you'll definitely want to be contacted if you're the winner!

giveaway runs til tuesday july 21st at 11.59pm (EST).

{winner} of last week's giveaway by random.org is beth. congrat's!!! :) the featured artist and giveaway provider has been informed and will contact you shortly.

the art of {faith as small as a mustardseed}

i got a job! :)

after searching for an art therapy related job for about 1yr & 8months, i finally received a call from HR at maimonides medical center on tuesday offering me a child life position! :) i am thrilled not only because i have finally secured a job but because for many other reasons as well!

while i was job searching, i was also soul searching. i often asked the question, 'where is God leading me? what does He want me to do? who has He given me a heart for?' obviously that answer did not come quickly or easily but i made a list of the things i have a passion for, believing that many of these are from Him. here they are: fitness, health/nutrition, therapy, being creative, working with medically ill vs. mentally ill, a more 'normal' daily work schedule.

this new position {and i KNOW it won't in any way be perfect} really fits the bill. i will be working at a hospital with medically ill children. the schedule is awesome! no late nights which was always one of the most hated things abt my old job. i will also re-begin accruing my hrs for licensure - a humongous blessing of this job.

i truly feel thankful to be able to sit back and see God do His work in my life and in the way things panned out. of course i didn't just sit and do nothing! i don't believe in that. i job searched, applied to probably a thousand jobs, learned to wait, heard nothing, interviewed a handful of times, was rejected numerous times, to finally land {here}. happy {here}. :)

i will begin this position in a couple of weeks! eeek. i'm excited but definitely nervous too. a new job is a challenge - learning how to do the job well, mtg new people, an unknown environment, etc...

soon after i was offered this position, the hubby and i decided that we must take a final trip to relax and play before i start. last night we booked a flight to los cabos! :) i've never been there but have heard wonderfully beautiful things about it. for the first time in my life, i'm going to mexico and will be staying at an all inclusive resort/hotel place where food and drinks are included! there's a fitness center, many pools, some tennis courts... even table tennis! :) we're pretty psyched. the hubby hasn't been able to fall asleep for a couple of nights in a row because he's so excited. :) hehe... i, on the other hand, have had to wake up earlier than usual this past week which has led me to sleep rather soundly each night since i'm so zonked!

we also plan on bringing a few good books on this vacay. a sweet friend recently lent me a thousand splendid suns which i am hooked to. the story is definitely sad but it is written very well. grabbing at me and making me not want to put the book down. the hubby is reading the color of water which i passed along to him after reading it and just absolutely loving the story and the writing style.

this past year and 8months has definitely been a time of waiting. of believing that God has something great for me. i never doubted it though there were times when i felt discouraged. i am thankful that God has given me a lot of faith in Him - mostly grown through past difficult experiences and struggles. it is good to be at this place with Him. hopefully this is encouraging to you. He will not leave you either. He is faithful. if life has thrown you sour lemons for some reason, believe that He has all authority and power to teach you how to make some awesome lemonade.

{tgif feature and giveaway} Dongedyframe

this friday, we have the pleasure of featuring a very very new Etsy artist, Dongedyframe.

"I'm a french photographer. I like to mix pictures and photos with digital effects to breathe new life into my artwork. Part of my work is to create mini-universes..."

"It took a long time for me to find a place where the imaginary could meet the reality. But I found it : this is a new universe where miniature objects add something surreal to everyday items. I'm fond of those cutesy characters and I'm proud that people have fun with those pictures. While sadness and troubles are surrounding us, I try to ignite this little candle of joy and make people smile...this is both my present to you and when successful, my reward..."

Dongedyframe is offering a fun little giveaway!
to enter:
take a look in Dongedyframe and in my shop. comment on what your favorite item from each shop is. that's one entry! :)

for additional entries, follow my blog, become a fan of my Facebook page (where you will be the first to learn of special discounts and updates), post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter about this giveaway or buy something from either of our shops. :) the last gains you 5 extra entries! make sure to leave a comment with what you've done. there is no limit so leave as many comments as you wish! also, leave your contact info as you'll definitely want to be contacted if you're the winner!

giveaway runs til tuesday july 14th at 11.59pm.

{winner} of last week's giveaway is oceanside creations. congrat's!!! :) the featured artist and giveaway provider has been informed and will contact you shortly. blessings!