Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Our Story

First of all, thank you so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to read this. My name is Lory, and I hope that I am able to bring a little bit of sunshine your way and you will be inspired.

My husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby boy in 2005. We named him "Aydan Emmanuel", which means fiery spirit, and what a little trooper he was! He was our Sunshine, and would light up a room with his blue eyes and big smile. He touched the lives of many - all over the world. When he was six weeks old, he was diagnosed with an incurable genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Our world was crushed at the thought of losing our sweet baby.

Aydan was physically weak, but his spirit was strong. I believe that he was cognitively advanced, because he was so attentive to his surroundings and his attention span was extraordinarily long. He especially loved to watch his favorite movie, Finding Nemo. I would sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him, and he would look up at me and smile. Through it all, he was a brave little fighter, and held on for as long as he could. On March 11, 2006, Aydan lost his battle with this fateful disease, and grew wings to become an angel. He was just ten-and-a-half weeks old.

Aydan brought so much joy and inspiration into my life, even though his time with us was short. My shop and blog's name is "The Sunshine Studio", because it was inspired by him, and I want to bring everyone a little bit of sunshine like he brought to us.

Besides designing jewelry and blogging, I am currently pursuing my degree in nursing (also inspired by Aydan). In my spare time I love to take photographs, read whatever I can get my hands on, and cook. I also love to travel and can't wait to see even more of the world with my husband. I'm truly blessed, and have learned to not take a single day for granted. I owe it all to Aydan.

My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who follow my blog and/or support my shop. I am forever grateful for your continued support. Your encouragement is a blessing to me! Please don't ever hesitate to contact me. I love to get your feedback and am grateful for all the friends I have made through my blog. If you share a similar story, or would like to chat for any reason, I would love to hear from you.

Aydan Emmanuel
12/28/05 ~ 03/11/06

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
~ Anthony D'Angelo

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Happy Birthday Angel

Our little angel would have been four yesterday. Instead, he's celebrating in heaven. We miss you, Sunshine!

Below is a little poem I found -- In remembrance of Aydan. . .
I looked toward the clouds today
And for a moment saw your face.
I know that you have gone
To such a peaceful place.

Did you show yourself to me today
To tell me you're all right?
Or was it just a daydream
Playing tricks upon my sight?

Then I thought of when you left,
Still too young to say a word.
Yet the look you gave us said it all,
In our hearts your goodbye was heard.

You have changed our lives forever.
Your short time here not if vain.
I hope you know we tried it all
To keep you safe from pain.

We will always feel the void inside,
Because you are not here.
But each new thought you send our way,
Let's us know you're always near.

So until our journey nears its end,
And we hear the angels sing.
We'll face each new day as it comes
And live off the love you bring.

~ James Sullivan

Drumroll Please. . .

The winner is Rebecca (4smartmonkeys). Her favorite piece from Knot Original is the Dreaming of the Caribbean Sea scarf. Rebecca wins the hand-knit, fingerless gloves from Sharon's shop. Congratulations!!

Keep up with Sharon through her shop, Knot Original. She also has a vintage store -- 13 Steps.
Be sure to add them to your favorites!

Sharon, your work is truly unique and beautiful. I am so happy you decided to come by my blog and share with us. It was an honor to have you!

My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who stopped by to enter. I am forever grateful for your continued support of my blog.

While you're here, toss your name in the hat for this week's giveaway! It started today, and one lucky reader will receive a rustic bath set from Etsy shop O Bella Naturals. Have a great night!!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Hall of Fame {O Bella Naturals}

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. You're in for a real treat today!

Meet Betsy of O Bella Naturals -- a lovely, little shop filled with natural handmade soaps, earthwear, knits, and more! I simply love the look and feel of Betsy's shop and designs, and I'm sure you will too.

Betsy is one sweet gal, with a beautiful family. Her mission is to create affordable products that are made from natural materials and ingredients, which are free of chemicals, dyes and additives.

Read on as she takes us on a journey into the world of O Bella, and inspires us along the way.

What inspires you?
Music, nature, mountains, textures, organic colors

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
The town I currently call home is West Palm, Florida. It's about 20 minutes away from the small beach town I grew up in, Jupiter. Wherever my family is, that's home for me. My husband and I are living in a little cottage to save to make a cross-country move to Montana, we are aiming for 2010 to be our moving year! We will be leaving a lot of family here, but hopefully some will come too!
Name something unique to where you live.
My favorite local spot around is Jonathan Dickinson State Park. It was named after a Quaker merchant who landed here in 1696, has the historic home of “Trapper Nelson” still intact, and was a top secret radar training school during World War II. It's my family's favorite place to get together, take walks and bike rides, have Thanksgiving, and it's also where my husband and I got married in 2007.

Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I studied music in college, I'm one year away from a degree in music education. Music is my first love, it is where I am most at home with myself. I'm classically trained on flute, but I really like to play piano to rock music and violin to bluegrass.

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Passionate

My mom has always told me I'm a passionate person, and it comes out in everything I do, for better or worse! It can be a burden and a blessing but I wouldn't choose it any other way. It means I dive into something I love [a movie, a book, a time period, a song] to the point of obsession! But it also means I love deeply, like my family, friends, music and nature.
What made you decide to open up shop?
When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby in 2008, I started to pay close attention [read: obsess] to what I put on my skin, finding out what toys were made of, what was in my food. I started to wonder why I was told to eat good and exercise while I was pregnant, but it was okay to bathe my baby with soap with additives and let her chew toys made of plastic made with toxins. It really started in April of 2009, my husband, baby girl Isabella, mom and dad took a trip to Idaho to visit my brother and sister-in-law. This trip was really the inspiration behind my whole shop. I had just learned to knit and knitted my baby a pair of hand warmers and had wonderful feedback! It was so rewarding making something useful and people actually asking about it! That was the start of [knits]. While there we made some necklaces from the stones we collected at the lake.. that was the start of [earthwear]. We spent a few hours searching for stones, and my mom also took a trip back to Idaho and must have collected 10 pounds of stones for me [thanks mom!] The summer of 2009 I finally started making soap for myself after wanting to for years. I was spending a fortune on natural soap for me and my little family, and I experimented and came up with a great, functional, natural recipe! Since then it has sort of blossomed from there. Natural function is really at the heart of O Bella.

How did you come up with your shop name? Any special significance?
It is named after my lovely daughter, Isabella. Her 1 year old cousin actually came up with the name. When she was born all her cousin would say was “Oh, Bella,” in such a sweet voice. It sounded like a perfect name. I chuckle every time I catch my self saying it, especially when she has created a big mess on the floor!

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
My favorite thing about selling [and buying!] handmade is the connection to people that you can't get buying in a commercial store. There is something very traditional, settling, and grounding about making things handmade and receiving handmade. You know the time went into prepare whatever it is, and time is the most special gift anyone can ever give.

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
My full time job right now is raising and guiding my daughter – it is such a special job! Etsy is like a part-time job with a bonus of potentially becoming a full-time job. I would love for it to be able to be a full-time job while I am in my season of motherhood.

Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
I wake up and say goodbye to my ever faithful, hardworking husband in the early hours. My baby girl and I [who is 1 years old today!] wake up, have our toast and coffee [minus the coffee for her] and enjoy the morning while catching up with online stuff like convos, any orders that may have sold, blogs or other things. We play and get ready for the day. I may make soap and other batches of lotions if need be, or create some necklaces. I may head out to do errands, mail packages, get new supplies, visit with some family, go to the park, visit some local shops.. Husband usually comes home in the afternoon and we do dinner and more playtime. We may watch a movie, or I might get to sewing or knitting once the little one has fallen asleep while he records music or some computer stuff. I find time to read late, it's my favorite time to settle down and read.
Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
I currently have two ultimate favorite shops on etsy, although there are so many I have found and loved! The first is Gaia Conceptions – she makes eco-chic clothes for the urban nomad. I am in love with her materials and designs, I own one of her dresses and wear it more than I will admit to! The second is Violet Bella, whose store I found on your blog! I love all of her photos, jewelry designs, and clothes, they are so unique and capture a wonderful essence!

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
Anything that involves things with naturalness - the way things used to be made. We started our own organic garden and I like to find fresh produce and cook with it. I'm really interested in alternative building materials, especially with cob, and my husband and I are in the beginning planning stages of a future cob house. Cob is a building material made from earth, clay and straw, it used to be used in houses in Wales. You mix it with your feet and lay it with your hands. Talk about the ultimate natural handmade project! Some houses still stand today and are over 500 years old. My great-grandfather grew up in one in Ireland, so it will be an amazing and traditional project!

I mostly love to spend time in the mountains in the west - which is pretty far from where I am. I try to get out as often as I can to camp, hike, see small towns, pick flowers, collect rocks, splash around in rivers. While I'm not out camping in the west, I'll visit the beach here or get my favorite lunch [subs and cupcakes] and eat them at the park. I'm also really getting into sewing, it's quickly becoming a favorite hobby!

I love to play music gigs, teach and learn new styles of music. My husband plays guitar and bass guitar and we love to sing and play a good Pink Floyd song together while our little one plays at our feet and dances along.

Read any good books lately?
I have read a few good books lately:

The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson

End the Fed by Ron Paul

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

What is your most prized possession?
After my family of course, which I can't really count because I don't possess them :) But they keep me going, day in and day out, I could own nothing and still have the world with them.

I really cherish the handmade bench my mom passed to me recently. My parents bought it in the 70's, I used to play on it as a baby and now my daughter plays on it. Pretty special to me.
What are three of your favorite foods?
Anything homemade! Some favorites I've made lately are:

homemade guacamole with avocados my husband brought home

homemade honey butter

creamy chicken and wild rice soup

What would you like to learn to do?
I'm learning to sew right now, it's something I've been wanting to learn how to do for a long time, so I guess I would like to learn how to get better at sewing :)

What are you listening to right now?
Hello Hurricane album by Switchfoot

Animals album by Pink Floyd

Soundtrack to Ink

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
It's always been my dream to visit the old castles in Ireland and England. I have always been preoccupied.... (obsessed?) with the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance eras. I would also love to visit the birthplace or home where my favorite composers lived in Europe.

Anything else you'd like to share?
Thank you to Lory who so kindly took interest in my shop and thanks for doing this interview with me, and thanks for taking the time to read a little about the woman and story behind O Bella. Don't hesitate to contact me with questions or just to chat, I'm always up for meeting new people!

***

Betsy, thank you so much for stopping by to share with us. It was a pleasure getting to know you better.
And wishing a very happy birthday to little Bella today!

Keep up with Betsy and her growing shop by visiting her flickr, becoming a facebook fan, following her at her blog and on twitter, and adding O Bella Naturals to your favorites!

Time for a Giveaway!

Betsy has so generously put together a special sample set for this contest! It includes: A Set of 4 Sample Soaps - Mocha Cream, Brown Sugar, Honeybee, and Lemongrass, a sample Brown Sugar Rustic Butter, and a Natural Vanilla Lip Butter, all wrapped up in cotton cloth! Wow!

To enter, just tell us what your favorite scent is! Maybe you love the smell of freshly baked bread or sugar cookies? Or perhaps lavender, crisp spring air, or the smell after it rains? Don't forget to include your name and email address or Etsy username so we can contact you!

Please read carefully, as the rules have changed!

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway
Follow my blog and/or Betsy's blog
Blog about this interview/contest
Purchase from O Bella Naturals

Just leave a comment with your answer. Then, an additional comment if you are applicable for extra entries.

For example: If you want to enter and you also tweet the giveaway and follow my blog; leave your original comment + another that you tweeted + another that you are a follower = a total of 3 comments. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Contest ends Sunday, January 3rd at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will be announced the following day.

Good luck!

Worth Quoting

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.

~Dale Carnegie

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

Photobucket
A very Merry Christmas from Lory here at The Sunshine Studio. I can't thank each and every one of you enough for your continued support of my shop and blog. I hope this Christmas brings you lots of joy and fellowship with friends and family. See you Monday for a new artist feature and giveaway!

Weekend Whimsy {Christmas is here!}

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

Drumroll Please. . .

The winner is Evelyn of Sumiko Shop! Her favorite piece from The Peach Tree are the Halley - Earrings.

Evelyn wins the charming Northern Exposure Earrings from Amy's shop. Congratulations!!

Keep up with Amy through her shop The Peach Tree. And by following her through her blog and twitter. She's always adding fabulous pieces to her inventory!

Amy, your jewelry is simply beautiful. I am so happy you decided to come by my blog and share with us. It was an honor to have you!

My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who stopped by to enter. I am forever grateful for your continued support of my blog.

While you're here, toss your name in the hat for this week's giveaway! It started today, and one lucky reader will receive a colorful pair of hand-knit fingerless gloves from Etsy shop Knot Original. Have a great night!!

Hall of Fame {Knot Original}

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. . .
Ok, ok. I won't start that again :) We got some snow here in NC this week. How about you? I'm hoping we get some more for Christmas!

Well, wherever you are, it's probably cold outside. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and keep reading. This is sure to warm you up!

Meet Sharon, the lovely lady behind the shop Knot Original. Her shop is filled with unconventional, handknit accessories which are sure to help you stand out of the crowd.

Sharon divulges a bit about herself below. You even get to meet her adorable dog, Francis! And of course, enter for a chance to win something to keep you warm and toasty this winter.

What inspires you?
I can't imagine anything that doesn't inspire me.

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
For the past 2 years home has been a small peninsula on the Puget Sound of Washington. I grew up in South Jersey, followed by detours through Boston, Florida, Cancun, Philadelphia, and then Arizona before arriving in Gig Harbor.

Name something unique to where you live.
Unusually clean clear air
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I'm blind in one eye all thanks to following my neighbor Fred right through a sliding glass door. Boys were trouble even at 5 years old!

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
sarcastic

What made you decide to open up shop?
I don't remember coming to a decision, one day I had no shop and then I did.

How did you come up with your shop name? Any special significance?
I had a long list of about 20 names written out. Knot Original was the first one I came to that hadn't already been appropriated by the 12 other sellers/buyers who I have yet to run across and swear don't exist.
Who taught you to knit?
I taught myself with the help of Knitty Gritty on the DIY channel and the freeze frame feature on the dvr.

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
There's an appealing charm about objects that don't have to be, or aren't even supposed to be machine-looking perfect. I like the thought of on any given day there could be someone walking around different parts of the world wearing something that began as an idea in my head and was created with my hands.

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
Not a full time day job but I do freelance medical illustrations for law firms and paintings for fine art gallery shows.

Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
I no longer have anything resembling a typical day. We recently adopted a 180lb mastiff from the rescue shelter. After driving my husband to catch his bus at 5:30am, much of my time is spent teaching Francis (he came with the name) that I am not a squeaky toy, he needs to share the couch and that his new full time people aren't going to abandon him. I get spare blocks of time in to knit and do other things when the overgrown baby is napping!

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
I could spend days in christopherpines looking through all the pretty colored ribbons and trims and I just discovered the most delightful tea stained hand printed muslin ribbons from homesteadtreasures today. I can't wait until they arrive!

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
playing volleyball, rockclimbing, and snapping the suspenders of strange men

Read any good books lately?
I just got the cutest 2010 calendar of baby pigs called Pretty in Pink, there is a bit of type involved
What is your most prized possession?
My husband, getting that clingy exgirlfriend to disappear was a lot of work!

What are three of your favorite foods?
bacon on the verge of being burnt, grilled mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwiches, and ruby grapefruits with honey

What would you like to learn to do?
Iron so that when I'm finished the wrinkles don't mockingly reappear in a matter of minutes
What are you listening to right now?
my ocd neighbor in yet another attempt to blow every last pine needle from his driveway

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
I would love to spend some time at the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda to study the gorillas.

Anything else you'd like to share?
If you put a candycane in a ziplock bag and smash it to dust with a hammer it makes for an amazing taste sensation when added to chocolate chip cookie dough.

***

Sharon, thank you so much for stopping by to share with us. It was a pleasure getting to know you better.

Please stop by and give her shop a heart while perusing her lovely things!

Time for a Giveaway!
Sharon has so generously made a special pair of fingerless gloves for this contest! The winner will receive the colorful pair pictured over there to the right!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite piece from Sharon's shop. Don't forget to include your name and email address or Etsy username!

Good luck!

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from Knot Original : 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, December 27th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced the following day.

Worth Quoting

Take joy. The beauty of life is that behind every challenge there are hidden gifts just waiting to be found.

~ author unknown

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Hot Off the Press

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . .

Can you believe it?! It's a week 'til Christmas Eve *gulp*

As usual, I'm scrambling to get everything done on time... Gifts to buy, cards to send, decorations to hang, and the list goes on! I can't wait to sit back, relax, and spend time with my family. While remembering the real reason for the season!

Speaking of gift-giving -- I just treated myself to a lovely pair of pearl earrings from The Peach Tree. Amy, the sweet gal behind the shop, is in the Hall of Fame this week! So, while you're here, read a little about her and enter to win a pair of earrings for yourself! ;)And my good friend Mia over at MiaBeads is running a holiday sale and offering free shipping on all orders!

Last minute shopper? My rose rings are now two for $20! Hurry -- it's just for a limited time!

Alluring Artisans: Alona Lahav

Purse-aholic

Monday, December 14, 2009

Drumroll Please. . .

The winner is Jackie of The Pink Panda, who said she's been swooning over Genevieve's bee necklace for some time now!

Jackie wins the lovely Bee Charmer necklace from Genevieve's shop. Congratulations!!

Keep up with Genevieve through her shop Genevieve Gail. And by following her through her blog and twitter. You'll want to stay tuned -- she's always coming up with something new and fashionable!

Genevieve, all of your work is beautiful and unique. I am so happy you decided to come by my blog and share with us. It was an honor to have you!

My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who stopped by to enter. I am forever grateful for your continued support of my blog.

While you're here, toss your name in the hat for this week's giveaway! It started today, and one lucky reader will receive a pair of chic earrings from Etsy shop The Peach Tree. Have a great night!!

Hall of Fame {The Peach Tree}

Hello there and welcome back to The Sunshine Studio for this week's featured artist interview. I hope the sun is shining where you are! And if not? Maybe this will brighten your day...

Meet Amy of The Peach Tree. Her shop is filled with classic, gemstone jewelry. With her simplistic designs, she strives to "show off each stone's truly unique beauty."

Read on to learn a bit more about her, find out where her pieces get their creative names, and how her shop came about!

What inspires you?
For my jewelry, nature inspires me most. The detailed simplicity of each stone astounds me and I try to bring that to light in each piece that I create.

Where do you call home? Are you from there originally?
WI born and raised. I moved to New York City in 2001 and have called it my home ever since!

Name something unique to where you live.
Oh to put Brooklyn into one sentence! There's too many things to count. I live in a historic waterfront district which is known for being called the first "suburb" of Manhattan. I guess that's just chipping the iceberg but I'll leave it there!
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I've never been out of the United States. And I desperately want to change that :)

If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be?
Dynamic.

What made you decide to open up shop?
I met an Etsy shop owner in an airport a few years back and listening to her talk about the community and handmade life, I couldn't resist!
How did you come up with your shop name? Any special significance?
Ah, I wish I had a better answer, but my boyfriend named it :) As well as every piece in my shop!

Name your favorite thing about selling handmade.
Quality control. I make EVERYTHING that gets sent out and I love knowing that these things that I've created are being worn all over the world!

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time?
1/2 and 1/2 I'd say. My boyfriend and I run our own pet sitting business :)
Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like.
Wake. Etsy. Feed Cats. Tea. Etsy. Visit Cats. Etsy. Tea. Etsy. Sleep. And meals and recreation in there somewhere as well.

Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop.
Ooo, that's difficult but it would have to be the number of cases that I've custom ordered from GetReadySetGO.
Here's the latest one!

List a few of your most favorite pastimes.
Walks along the Hudson, Row Boats in Central Park, anything outdoors really!
{Central Park}

Read any good books lately?
Lots! I'm reading Suttree from Cormac McCarthy right now. Before that was Hemingway's short stories which I highly enjoyed.

What is your most prized possession?
My readiness for laughter :)

What are three of your favorite foods?
Cakes, Cookies, and Pie!

What would you like to learn to do?
Knit and/or Crochet.. I tried to teach myself.. I'm not a very good teacher!
What are you listening to right now?
WBGO Newark Jazz

Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why.
Paris. I think every woman want to visit Paris once in their life, yes?

Anything else you'd like to share?
I'd love to share a few of my very favorite Etsy shops that I think everyone should RUN to and buy them out!

GetReadySetGO
Xenotees
Fiberstory
SunBasilGarden

And SO many more but anyone can search my favorites for a more in depth look :)


Amy, thank you so much for stopping by to share with us. It was a pleasure getting to know you better.

To keep up with her and her work, follow her on twitter, become a fan on facebook, and visit her blog. Don't forget to give her shop a heart too -- she often has awesome sales!

Time for a Giveaway!
Amy is so generously awarding the winner with the charming Northern Exposure Earrings pictured there to the right!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite piece from Amy's shop. Don't forget to include your name and email address or Etsy username!

Good luck!

For extra entries you can:
Tweet this giveaway: 2 additional entries
Follow my blog and/or Amy's blog: 5 additional entries
Blog about this interview/contest: 7 additional entries
Purchase from The Peach Tree: 10 additional entries

(Please include this info, if applicable, with your comment for additional entries. You do not need to leave separate comments for additional entries. Important: Don't forget to include your name and contact info!)

Contest ends Sunday, December 20th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by traditional drawing and will be announced the following day.