Monday Morning Musings

GO RED for Women!

February is National Heart Month. The Go Red for Women movement celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress now stand for the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives. 

Luscious Red Silk Wedding Hair Flower by Mikiye

Ruby Red Australian Jade Teardrop Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Ring by WellspringCreations

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of American women and the cause of one in every three female deaths. African American and Hispanic women are even more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases due to higher rates of excessive weight, diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.  They are also less likely than white women to know that they may have major risk factors. 

Crimson Spiral Lampwork and Sterling Earrings by BellaTuJewelry

The perception that heart disease is a “man’s disease” must be changed. By teaching more and more women how to talk to their doctors about heart disease, thousands of lives can be saved each year because the good news is that heart disease is often preventable! 

Cabled Coffee Cozie in Cranberry Red by kimwhitecreations

To learn more about heart disease in women and the choices you can make to live heart healthy, visit GoRedforWomen.org, and sign up for the movement.  You’ll receive a monthly newsletter to keep you motivated to make healthy choices and a red dress pin, the symbol of the heart disease in women movement to wear proudly as a supporter.

Set of 3 Flowered Rings by shopbonnin

Colts and NOLA Going to the Bowla

On Sunday, February 7th, the Indianapolis Colts will play the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV.  By the end of this post, see if you can you guess for whom I am rooting…

According to www.funtrivia.com, Baltimore’s first pro football team played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946-1949.

COLTS Christmas Ornament by MichellesClay

Per www.rauzulusstreet.com, a fan contest produced the Colts name – reflecting the great tradition and proud history of horse breeding and racing in the Baltimore region.

Indianapolis Colts Beanie, Scarf and Beer Cozy Set by FunkieFresh

The original Colts disbanded after the 1950 season, but the name was retained when a new Baltimore franchise began play in 1953. The team moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

Indianapolis Colts Football Baby Onesie by 918hometownsports

According to wikipedia, the (Baltimore) Colts were the first NFL team to have an organized cheerleading squad.

Indianapolis Colts Inspired Wedding Garter Set by GartersbyKristi

The Colts are making their second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons; they won the 2006 Super Bowl.

Indianapolis Colts AFC Champs Earrings by scbeachbling

The New Orleans Saints playfootball  in New Orleans, LA.

Hand Crocheted New Orleans Saints Helmet Hat with Logo by dsl9723

 May the best team win!

Monday Morning Musings

One World One Heart – Magic Carpet Ride

Welcome to Foxy G. Knits Den of i-KNiT-quity, located in Atlanta, GA, Stop #113 on your Magic Carpet Ride.  You will have an opportunity to enter a giveaway in just a few minutes, but first, let me give you a quick tour of Atlanta:

Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola.  Coke is all they drink here, so don’t ask for any other soft drink unless it’s made by Coca-Cola.  Even if you want something other than a Coca-Cola, it’s still called Coke.

• Our 8 AM rush hour runs from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., and our 5 PM rush hour runs from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. Friday’s rush hour begins on Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2 a.m. on Saturday.
• “Fixinto” is one word: I’m fixinto go to the store.
• Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals, and you begin drinking it when you’re two years old.
• “Jeet?” is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?”
• No need to buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta.  Just go to one of the Interstates, and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.
• The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules.  If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days, and it’s on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a week.  Overnight, all grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper and beer.
• If you have ever had the pleasure of having to change planes here in Atlanta, then you know that the gates at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are about 32 miles away from the main concourse.  So wear sneakers, and pack a lunch.

Well, thanks for taking a little tour of our fair city.   Now for the giveaway…I want to be sure that you are warm enough, as well as stunning, on the rest of your magic carpet ride, so please feel free to enter to win this Luscious Lavender Wide Ruffle Scarf.  It was hand crocheted with love by my 90 ½ year old mammalicious.

 

This Magic Carpet Ride has become dizzifying.   (And if that’s not in your Funk & Wagnell, I just made it up!)  There has been such a wonderful response, that I am adding a second giveaway – another large ruffle scarf hand crocheted by mamalicious.  This one is red and purple:

I’m back – with yet another scarf to add to the giveaway.  This should greatly increase your odds of winning!

To be eligible, you need only to leave a comment below.  I’d love for you to leave your blog url so that others can visit your site.  If you would like to leave your facebook biz page url or twitter tag, I would be happy to fan you and/or follow you.

This giveaway will begin January 25, 2009 and end on February 14, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. The winners will be announced on February 15, 2009.  Random.org will be used to pick the winners, and they will have 72 hours to get back to me.

This giveaway is open worldwide, so good luck – and enjoy the rest of your trip!

Art from the ♥

Making tails wag – one bead at a time! 

Sharla along with her mom, Sheri, are the artisans behind BeadedTail.  They use their love of creating quality beaded jewelry to benefit their love for animals. Each of their one-of-a-kind designs contains an animal theme – from paw toggles to cat face beads or animal awareness ribbon charms or butterflies. A portion of ALL sales proceeds benefit animal awareness causes.

Sophia - Cat Face and Clear Swarovski Crystal Beaded 14K Gold Filled Earrings

Sharla supports various local and national animal charities, including organizations that work with feral cats and practice Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) policies.  According to Sharla, feral cats taken to traditional animal shelters are usually euthanized because they are not socialized and are considered unadoptable.  Feral cats that are TNR’d can live their lives outside as they are accustomed to without continuing the cycle of more kittens being born.  She  also support organizations that help senior pets find forever homes since it is often harder for them to be adopted out of shelters than kittens and puppies. In 2009, BeadedTail donated a total of $686.50 to organizations such as Beaufort Community Cat Project, SaveHaven Humane Society and Alley Cat Allies.

Onyx and Leopard Glass Bead Earrings

Sharla has had pets literally all her life. Currently, she and her husband have a Husky named Sadie that was rescued from a puppy mill by the Humane Society.  They also have two cats, Isabella and Angel,that they also adopted from the Humane Society. Sheri has an American Eskimo named Samy that she adopted after someone got him as a puppy and was unable to take care of him. Their animals are a huge part of their lives and now live like royalty!

Pawsome - Pawprint Ceramic and Faceted Black Dangle Beaded Sterling Silver Earrings

Sharla and Sheri are keenly aware that there is a great need for animal awareness education to prevent overpopulation, abused and homeless animals and are most grateful to be able to sell their jewelry on Etsy to benefit animals.

Contact:  beadedtail@comcast.net

Blog:  http://beadedtail.blogspot.com/

Follow BeadedTail on twitter:  http://twitter.com/BeadedTail

Monday Morning Musings

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I was looking for just the right quotations to accompany this blog on snowflakes.  Do you have a favorite?

“Those we love are the snowflakes of life. None are the same, each is beautiful, and all bring something special to our world.” ̴ Martin Buber

The Snowflake Winter Themed Pocketfold Wedding Invitation by GlitzyEvents

“The Eskimo has fifty-two names for snow because it is important to them; there ought to be as many for love.” ̴ Margaret Atwood

Snowflake Applique Tee, 12m by BellflowerTextiles

“No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.” ̴ Zen Proverb

Snowflake Tags Set of Six by TheCheckerdRabbit

Small Snowflake Address Stamp by purplelemondesigns

 “Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven.” ̴ Anonymous

Snowflake Sonata - Dichroic Fused Glass Pendant/Slide and Earring Set by mysassyglass

“A snowflake is winter’s butterfly.” ̴ Unknown

Snowflake, fairy fantasy art magnet by aquariann

“Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.” ̴ Unknown

Snowman Twirl Skirt 12 months to 8 years Girls by AmieVoltaire

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” ̴ Carl Reiner

Frosted Snowflakes Soap by thesoapseduction

And finally, things that make you go, hmmmmmmm: “Where does the white go when the snow melts?”

Winter Snow in Red and Blue Otedama (Set of 6) by ojami

(Editor’s Note: I am not sure how I overlooked an entire section of beautiful snowflakes, but CapeCodJewel was kind enough to provide not only the link, but a quote as well.)

“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake…” ~ Francis Bacon, Sr.

Winter Snowflake Pendant by CapeCodeJewel

She Sews for Sanity

Erika, the face behind  NicoDesigns and Featured EtsyBlogger for January, has a great sense of humor:

After years of being a behavior specialist and special education teacher, I now am in need of a specialist myself as a stay-at-home-mom. My two babies (ages 2 and 1) make everything in the past seem so ordinary. What lies in front of us as amazing. And chaotic. Hence, the specialist.

Sophisticated Career Bag

NicoDesigns features item with both style and functionality, utilizing a combination of new, repurposed, recycled or upcycled materials. You will have such fun checking out her shop – especially the new Art Dolls and Home Décor Sections.

Gertie the Obsessed

Do You Have a Personal/Professional Mission Statement?

One morning back in 1987, I awoke from a sound sleep around 1 a.m. and bolted upright with an uninvited epiphany.  At that moment, I knew that my personal life mission was to improve the quality of life for myself and those around me.  To say the least, I was mystified, dumbfounded and confused.  I pondered my experience and then found myself dealing with a great deal of sadness because I had to give up the illusion or fantasy that I was going to be rich and famous.  Yes, that fantasy!  As I became comfortable with my new reality, I began to embrace it.  I began giving those “quality of life” gestures value, not discounting them as “no big deal.” 

I have always loved to buy little “love you” presents for my family and friends and wrap them in beautiful paper and ribbons.  And I have always loved to find the perfect greeting card for that special occasion and send it. Through a former job, I had to learn Publisher which then opened the door for me to make personal greeting cards and the occasional flyer for a friend.

As my interests grew, so did my opportunities to continue fulfilling my personal mission.  I say continue because I think a mission is more a way of life than an achieved goal. Several years ago, I got interested in genealogy and began working on our family tree.  That required developing some new computer and research skills.  Soon, I found myself helping friends begin to put together their family trees.  This opportunity was amazingly special for me because it was assisting them in connecting to their past to then be able to pass on this information to future generations.  It was something from the heart, not another present from the mall fairy!

For years, I knit scarves, shawls, wraps, even baby blankets and dish cloths for friends.  As an aside, that is how I ended up opening my shop on etsy.  My sister convinced me that I should be selling my hand knit originals.  When I was setting up Foxy G. Knits, my tag line popped out one day: hand knit with love – from my heart to yours. 

So, 20+ years after that uninvited epiphany visited me, my personal and professional missions have remained the same: to improve the quality of life for myself and those around me with love from my heart to yours.

Do you have a personal mission statement?  A professional mission statement?  Please comment below, and you might be featured in an upcoming blog post.

Monday Morning Musings

The Garnet is a Stone of Vitality and Passion

Garnet Tears Sterling Silver Earrings by SweetwaterGifts

According to the http://www.all-that-gifts.com website, “garnet” comes from granatum, the Latin word for pomegranate. To the ancient world, garnet was a tiny glossy red gem, bursting with fire and brilliance.

From JoslinJewels:  According to one Greek myth, Hades, the god of the underworld, captured Persephone, the goddess of sunshine and daughter of Zeus. Hades fell in love with Persephone and before releasing her, he gave her pomegranate seeds to ensure her speedy return.  In legend, garnets legend light up the night and protect their owners from nightmares. They have long been carried by travelers to protect against accidents far from home.

Bordeaux Earrings Garnet Pearls Wire Wrapped by joslinjewels

The garnet is considered to be the birthstone for Capricorn (Goat): Dec. 22 – Jan. 19.

Triple Red Garnet Nested Sterling Silver Hancrafted Wire Wrapped Ring by WellSpring Creations

Mystical power: Garnet should be carried close to the body. Its energy is balancing and peaceful. This stone of passion is said to encourage robust good health and sexual desire and enhance the wearer’s imagination. Garnet symbolizes fire, faith, courage, truth, grace, compassion, constancy and fidelity.

Large Dark Red Garnet Front Toggle Sterling Necklace by SilverSmack

Road trip…listening to the radio… A Santana song comes on, telling of love and loss.

“Corazon Espinado”…”ah, she left a thorn in my heart.”

A heart for one pierced deep into the soul. Sterling silver wire wrapped in more sterling wire and woven with garnets, the stone of faith, constancy and fidelity, is fashioned into a heart pierced through by a “thorn” of freshwater pearl, a symbol for purity and love.

Corazon Espinado Necklacei n Sterling Silver Garnet and Freshwater Pearl by ThatsHeadley

The versatile garnet comes in a virtual rainbow of colors, including pink, red, purple, orange, yellow, violet, green, colorless, occasionally black, brown and many shades of red and green. The most common color of garnets is reddish brown.

A trio of hand knit garnet items:

Market Beanie Cloche Hat Garnet Red Black Flower Brooch Pin by beautifulbridget

The Twinkling Celebrations Scarf by yarncoture

Hand Knit Fashion Sassy Wrap Scarf - Garnet, Darn It! by foxygknits

Punky Jane: A Most Interesting Character

Getting to know PunkyJane is like winning the Daily Double.  You quickly learn that she has an extensive eraser collection and has written and self-published a children’s book called Sally the Sheep and the Very Cloudy Day.  First, the eraser collection…

 

Eraser Collection

You started collecting erasers in the 5^th grade; how did you happen to start? And why erasers?

I don’t honestly remember WHY we started, but my friend, Nora and I began together. We are still friends today and occasionally exchange erasers as gifts.  I do remember that she and I even climbed up on the roof of our school to get the erasers that other kids threw up there. (I can’t believe we did that! I think we snagged a bunch of tennis balls, too. Crazy!)

What kind of erasers do you collect? Are they vintage or recently manufactured?

I collect all kinds – from pencil toppers to novelty erasers to the old fashioned pink and gum styles. Nowadays, I am not longer interested in the cutesy ones so much anymore; I go for the more ‘grown up’ variety!

Henry the Dog Eraser

Where do you keep these little treasures?

I’ve had them stored in a large tackle box-style plastic sewing case until recently when I discovered a strange chemical reaction going on.  Some erasers actually melted the plastic in the case! I now have over 400 in a small drawer organizer and another 30 or so in a clear jar in my office just to make me smile.

Erasers-Colorful!

Do you have a favorite or favorites?

One of my newest faves is an off-white color about 2.5″ long, shaped like a rounded bar of soap with #*?@! printed on the top. As far as vintage is concerned, the ones that I collected as a kid now qualify; the Sanrio ones are the best!

What makes the Sanrio erasers the best?

I have such fond memories of shopping for Hello Kitty erasers! You can see in the pictures that so many of them came in their own little cases decorated with Hello Kitty and other fun Sanrio characters. I haven’t purchased any Sanrio erasers for quite some time, but I consider the ones I have my favorites. And I’ve shared a picture of my all-time favorite, the one that started it all!

The One That Started It All

 Now, onto the book…

What was the catalyst for Sally the Sheep and the Very Cloudy Day?

The best way to explain how Sally was born is to share a conversation I had with Hannah, my then 5-year-old daughter, one night when she had trouble going to sleep:

Hannah: “Mommy, will you draw me a sheep?”

Me: “Sure, Honey. You get some sleep and I’ll have it ready for you when you wake up.”

Hannah: “Okay, Mommy. Is it done yet?”

Me: “No, Sweetie. I will work on it tonight and have it for you in the morning.”

Hannah: “Okay, Mommy. I love you!”

Me: “I love you, too, Baby. Sweet dreams.”

[10 minutes pass]

Hannah: “Mommy, is it done?”

Me: “No, Sweetheart. I can’t work on it until I finish the dishes, but I’ll start as soon as I can. You get some sleep. Count sheep.”

Hannah: “Okay, Mommy. Love you! Oh, Mommy?”

Me: “Yes?”

Hannah: “Can I help you? I’m really good at drawing sheep!”

Me: “No, Sweetie. You get some sleep and maybe I’ll even write you a story. Love you.”

Hannah: “Okay, good night, Mommy!”

After Hannah finally went to sleep, and I was washing the dishes, the little story developed in my head. I sat down at the computer and starting typing and drawing. In a couple of hours, I had something I wanted to share with my girls in the morning.

A few weeks later, I shared it with some kindergarteners and preschoolers, and Sally was a hit! I decided to go ahead and publish it, even if it was just for my girls.

I still remember the excitement I felt the day I found out that Sally the Sheep and the Very Cloudy Day was eligible for ‘Free Super Saver Shipping” on Amazon! Now that’s big time, right??

Right on, Punky Jane!

FOLLOW ME with Twitter Handle and Hashtag Necklace

Etsy Shop: http://punkyjane.etsy.com

Web: http://www.PunkyJane.com

Blog: http://PunkyJane.blogspot.com/

Become a fan on facebook: http://facebook.com/PunkyJaneJewlery

Follow PunkyJane on twitter: http://twitter.com/PunkyJane

Monday Morning Musings

2010 – Year of the Tiger (no, really…)

Steampunk Gear Necklace Pendant Tiger Charm Year of the Tiger by Casethaliel

2010 is the Year of the Tiger (sorry, Mr. Woods). According to Wikipedia: The Tiger is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese Zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. So, that means YOU – people who were born in 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010.

According to 3DCranes, this “kanji”, or Chinese character, symbolizes “Tora,” the Japanese word meaning tiger, which is the Chinese Zodiac animal symbol for the year 2010:

Year of the Tiger Origami Crane Unframed Art by 3DCranes

In The Year of the Tiger – Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Immedium, a princely cub befriends a human, the girl, Su, despite his parent’s warnings.  Can Teddy prove the jungle is big enough for both man and beast?

The Year of the Tiger - Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Immedium

This adorable short sleeve onesie and hat set is a perfect gift for your little tiger or for a baby shower.

The Year of the Tiger 2010 Girl by LePeonies

Made of iridescent bronze/green silk dupioni and embroidered with a Chinese tiger design, this Tarot pouch is the perfect size for standard size decks.

Year of the Tiger Embroidered Bronze Silk Tarot Pouch by rainfeather13

Have you made your New Year’s card yet? This Chinese Zodiac Stamp is perfect not only for making cards, but for personalizing letters, fabric or scrapbooks.

Chinese Zodiac Stamp 2010 by StampsbySachi

And finally, all the way from Hong Kong, the Happy New Year Tiger Patchwork Doll Japanese Craft Kit by MeMeCraftwork.

Happy New Year Tiger Patchwork Doll Japanese Craft Kit by MeMeCraftwork