24 Days Into January Already?

Toward each month's end, I feel like Rip Van Winkle and always ask myself, where did the time go?  I couldn't have been sleeping cause I barely get 5 hours a night. I guess it's flying because I'm having so much fun ~ lol ~.

Anyway, instead of recopying last year's New Years Resolutions (which were copied from the year before...)  I decided to keep it simple.  So my goal this year is to Make It Beautiful.  What's "it"?  Everything of course, including improving my photography skills which is a constant battle, er... challenge.  Here are some new photos for my Butterflybuttons shop on Etsy.

 

I've also been working on cleaning and sorting the big shopping bag full of inventory buttons I got last year...and the year before... and have about 2/3 of them done...course that's as far as I got last year I believe..............

Hamm's Suit

A huge thank you to Susan of Rebel Wag on Etsy for making this custom "suit" for Hamm!  Hamm has an inoperable tumor on his right rear leg that he feels compelled to lick, but thanks to Susan, he gets time out from wearing the e-collar. It's made of light weight jersey, is easy to put on, and has plenty of room and give so Hamm can run up and down stairs in it, jump,  and lie down comfortably.  Susan has gone above and beyond for us and is currently working on a few design revisions to further customize the garment Hamm is wearing below.

Susan lives with her boyfriend, 3 Italian Greyhounds, a Bengal and two octopi!  She supports Greyhound rescue through her shop and Handmade For Hounds.  Thank you Susan for all you do to help animals! 

Message To My Guardian Angel...

Dear Guardian Angel,

Thank you for saving me from serious damage, and my camera too, when I fell down the front stairs this morning!

xo,

Lisa

Farewell Rose Cottage By The Sea !

One of my two favorite bloggers is gone!  Laurie, if you 're still out there - I will miss you more than words can say.  Thank you for sharing your life and your heart with us.  Sending you love and hugs,  and wishing that all of your dreams will come true. 

Etsy For Animals: Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Why Animals Matter#comment-form

Just want to share this excellent article by fellow EFA member Jessi on the relationship between animal and human abuse. Please, please click on the link below to read the article to learn the facts and speak out against animal abuse.

Etsy For Animals: Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Why Animals Matter#comment-form

The Robins' Love Nest

This year a robin family built a nest in the weeping cherry tree directly in front of one of the living room windows.  The couple was frequently all over the tree for a number of days, inspecting every branch apparently. Then I saw the male, hard at work non-stop for two days, using mostly pieces of straw scattered around the dogs' yards..  Yesterday he only came to gaze into it a couple of times.  A bit like humans readying the nursery and then looking at the room, imagining the baby in it.  So cool they've chosen that spot :>)

Downsizing is like a Diet...

 I've been sticking to The Big Clean like husky fur on black pants, eating away at the mountain of stuff one teaspoonful at a time.  Reminds me of a diet to loose weight in a lot of ways  - it's slow and painful not to mention you loose some and then gain it back:>)

Last week I decided to go through my rubber stamp collection - again.  I did this last year and accomplished enough to be able to close the draws anyway.  But after a summer of yard sales, more appeared.

As you can see, I can't see what's in these two draws.

But now, voila!  If I want a stamp, I can actually find it!

Trouble is, what to do with the unwanted stamps? Hmmmmm....well,  I sell on eBay and Etsy, at flea markets, and am having a yard sale in two weeks.  So I put them in piles according to destination.  There's always the thrift shop too,  and a big bag went to them over the weekend. 

Unfortunately, the work doesn't end there because anything that's going to be sold on line has to be photographed and listed, so there's a basket full of that. 

Here are a couple listed for sale in my Etsy shop, The Faerie Cupboard ~

And another for sale in Sky's Etsy shop, The Animals Magic Shop because he gets anything animal ~

Lastlly is the yard sale box ~

'Course, all of these stamps need to be stored until they are sold which means they are still in my house!  Sigh....