Spring Cleaning

I've been going crazy with all our clutter. This past weekend we canceled all plans and went through mainly my son's stuff. Of course, as a 6 year old, he's the main culprit of clutter in the house, with dear old mom coming in a close second! ;) I've got a couple bags of toys ready to donate, and a big bag of clothes for a yard sale! Luckily one of my friends is having one this weekend, so I need to tag them for the sale. Of course, I also have a craft show on Sunday, so I'm not getting much sleep trying to get all of it ready.. by the way, know anyone in the LA area that needs a portable massage table? I have one available... :)

Day of Action

Today all across California, students, parents, and teachers are having a Day of Action. Many events have been scheduled across the state to bring awareness to the fact that public education is getting the shaft. And that means our kids are too.

My son is in kindergarten at Riviera Elementary in Torrance. This morning we held a protest in front of the school. I was very disappointed not to see any press there whatsoever. As far as I know, most of the protests will be at the high school and college levels, so I would think a grade school participating is kinda interesting. But anyway..



My son and I made shirts to wear today. When we got to school at 8:30, stickers were handed out that said "We are Blue About Cuts to Education! We love our Riviera Staff!"



Many of the kids had made signs, and were shouting "Don't do budget cuts - Save our teachers". Cars would honk as they drove by as well.





The teachers, staff and parents stood in a long line in front of the school. I didn't get a very good picture, because I didn't want to leave the line. At 8:59, as the teachers went in to their classes, they got a big round of applause from the parents.

One thing was very clear today talking with other parents. We are all very angry. We simply cannot ignore such major changes that affect the future of our children. California is now #50 in student spending. Class sizes are going up, the school year will be shortened. None of this is acceptable. The state must not cut education! It is too important to all of our futures, as these kids will be the ones taking care of us in our old age.

Think on that for a while.

New Year's Resolution... and a Giveaway!

My resolution for the new year was to start blogging on a regular basis. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.. :)

Life has been busier than I thought with my son in kindergarten. I volunteer at school at least once a week, sometimes more. Tomorrow we will be involved in a Day of Action - a day for protests against proposed education cuts by the state of California. I'll hopefully get some pictures and post them tomorrow.

In the meantime, I have added a third shop - scooterbank. This is my son's shop. It's still in the beginning stages, but we hope to get some great art in there soon.. 50% of his sales will go to the PTA to help out schools.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I did mainly beaded jewelry in the past. I am now focusing on chainmaille and wire wrapped jewelry. Both are very fun to do!



So now for the giveaway.. to celebrate my return to blogland, I will be giving away a lovely pair of purple wire wrapped earrings! To enter, to go my shop and tell me what your favorite item is. For a second entry, retweet the giveaway on Twitter. For a third entry, become a fan on Facebook! Be sure to let me know you've tweeted or become a fan in the comments. The drawing will be held on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. What could be luckier?

Our Summer Vacation, Part 1

This year we didn't do a fun-filled road trip, partially driving Route 66 to our destination... instead, we flew. It was a smooth flight, and other than worrying about the poundage of our single checked bag, all was well...


The next day we headed to see my parents in Nebraska. It was kinda hot, so we got a slip-n-slide and played in the water.


The following day was cooler, and we went crazy with activities! We did the Lincoln Children's Museum in the morning, and Simmons' Wildlife Safari in the afternoon.


The rest of the week we just relaxed and focused on fireworks and s'mores...


Well, that's week one! Stay tuned to read about our more eventful (and stressful) week two... oh, and more pics can be seen on my Flickr.

How cute is this?

Colin in his gi, ready for karate!

Summer Gift Guide and Giveaway!

The summer edition of the Handmade in California Gift Guide has launched! Check it out - it's full of beautiful items!

And it's giveaway time... every week look for something new! All you need to do is sign up for the mailing list and you're entered. Only a few emails a year are sent, and the list will never be sold or shared with anyone!

Ups and Downs

This week has been a very emotional one. A greatly respected artist on Etsy, Slavko, suddenly passed away this week. For those of you who are not familiar with him, he was always very supportive to fellow Etsians either through his beautiful treasuries or with suggestions and kind words in the forums and convos. I am lucky enough to have several pieces of his artwork that I will cherish. I would probably no longer be selling on Etsy if it hadn't been for his support. Slavko will be greatly missed. To read his tribute, please click here.



On a happier note, my beaded apple has been noticed by Etsy admin and included in the gift guide for teachers! I am very excited about this! Thanks, Slavko, for your encouragement!