My Very Own Bug-a-bootie Cuties

Cyberspace can be a wonderful place ~ both for friendships and finding unique items.

A few months ago I got acquainted with a fellow Etsian, Lauren.  Lauren makes the most adorable soft-soled shoes (aka house shoes) for babies, toddlers and adults.  Both being seamstresses we often share the trials and triumphs of sewing machines, fabric, patterns ~ you name it.  (No one appreciates the thrill of finding a fabric you absolutely love other than another fabric-obsessed seamstress!)

As cooler temperatures began to set in recently and I pulled out my raggedy old slippers, I began seeing some really awesome house shoes showing up on Lauren's Facebook Business Page.  So one chilly night while my toes were shivering, I logged onto Lauren's Etsy Shop Bug-a-booties and ordered some house shoes in my favorite color ~ green.

I've known Lauren as a fun and sweet friend; but getting to know Lauren the Business Woman was a real treat, too! Lauren's response to my order was immediate and thorough.  She followed up with questions to insure that my house shoes would be a perfect fit for my feet.  I realized as we went thru sizing process that making shoes for someone sight unseen could be tricky business.  But Lauren is a true pro; she definitely knows her stuff.

My beautiful house shoes arrived this morning and I couldn't be more pleased!  I just love them.  Not only are they adorable and super comfortable, the craftsmanship (or is that craftwomanship?) is outstanding.  Attention was paid to every detail.  And soft is right ~ flannel and velvet with fun, soft leather soles.  I wish Lauren had been around when my boys were little ~ not only are these great for grown-ups, but they are the perfect shoe for little ones!

So now I find myself thinking...  I want to give everyone I know a pair of Bug-a-bootie house shoes for Christmas!  Of course that's not possible, but I would encourage you to take a peek at her shop; I'll bet you'll find some Holiday gifts there yourself!

Thank you, Lauren, for making such a fun, unique and quality product!

Taking it From Project Hello to Hello Friends!

Hello!  (Which is how this all started...)

I'm Coco and I am a Wee Dog in the Wee Ones collection created by cmh design and I will be guest blogging tonight.  I was - if not the first Wee One created two years ago - I was one of the first.  Which is why I was elected to play such a major role in our most recent event in Denver, Project Hello.  (Well, that and I'm just so darn cute. And modest.)  

The object of Project Hello is to introduce yourself (the artist/artisan) thru your art. Therefore it was my responsibility to conduct interviews with fellow artists and visitors.  I had a little help translating and interpreting from my peeps at cmh design - Cindi and her wingman, Charlie.

We thought the questions were simple, but we soon learned they required some thought ~ and there were very thoughtful people in attendance last Saturday.  For instance - who knew it was so thought-provoking to decide on a favorite food?  Here are the responses:

• artichokes (2 people liked these best)
• avocados (mushy fruit with a big pit making it difficult for a dog to attack)
• a cheese plate (I have been known to sneak a few off a party table when no one is looking)
• dark chocolate (a man after my creator's heart for sure)
• French cheese (from - of course - a delightful artist from France)
• green chili burritos (someone not on a diet - lucky guy!)
• ice cream (she's a honey, that one)
• kale (a super healthy person eating a superfood!)
• lasagna - (2 people, perhaps Italian...)
• mac and cheese (oh yeah...)
• matzo ball soup (when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense)
• pizza (he could be my best friend)
• raisin bran (really?)
• red foods like strawberries and salmon (ok.  and ok.)
• sushi (2 people who would get along well with the Wee Cats)
• Tab soda (again. when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense)
• Thai food (again with the health.  sigh...)
• wine (now I know this person would be BFF's with my creator.  Unless it was her!) 

Some people had a hard time breaking it down so had to go with categories like:

• dessert (2 people - and if everyone was honest they all would have said that)
• sandwiches (as he said, "you can't go wrong with sandwiches.")
• soup (he needs to meet up with sandwiches for lunch)

We then moved on to "What is your favorite pastime/hobby?"  And not surprisingly there were a lot of creative people!

• 8 people said "art;" 5 with an emphasis on "drawing" 
• 3 people are active folks enjoying mountain climbing, baseball and yoga
• 2 people like to make music and 2 favor reading and 1 enjoys writing poetry
• Others enjoy hanging out with friends and basically loving life
• 1 person struggled to put it into words and finally said, "I can't keep it clean."  (we like that person *wink*)
• 1 person enjoys shopping for jewelry and another said "Keeping track of Joyce."   (again. when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense)

Favorite animals were diverse and interesting!

• dogs outnumbered cats ~ 6 people like dogs (one narrowed it down to pugs; another down to moi!); and cats got 2 votes.  Go dogs!
• 2 people favored foxes; 1 coyotes and 1 wolf

From there it was all over the map.  Baby goats; bears; camels (yes camels); chameleons; eagles; elephants; humans (that was different); monkeys; owls; peacocks (yes peacocks.  Again. when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense); tea cup piglets (that was different); whales and one - moi!  (again. when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense)

Favorite colors again showed the creative side of this bunch:

• 5 people prefer red
• 4 people like blue
• 4 people are all about green (including dark olive green)
• 3 people like various shades of purple (including violet)
• 2 people each enjoy black, pink (and hot pink) and orange
• 1 lonely soul likes yellow and 1 is all about "Coco brown"  (Again. when I show you who said this, it will totally make sense)

And by this time you can predict that what these folks do for a living will not surprise you...

• 4 peeps are graphic designers and 5 are artists
• 2 are students and 2 are in marketing (including a Marketing Goddess!)
• We met an accountant; an administrative assistant; a government employee; a designer; an engineer who makes the internet run faster; an English teacher; a fundraiser; a physical therapist; a poet; a video editor; a waiter (hey - he's honest!) and my favorite ~ an abundant liver/lover of life!

The ratio of men to women interviewed were about 2/3 women to 1/3 men.  What can I say?  I like women. :)  So there you have it ~ what I learned about my new friends and had a blast doing. And you may be wondering why those particular questions were asked - we were curious what awesome, creative people think and feel and live.   Each Wee One created carries a story, so some of these answers will help write stories; some will help develop new animals.  You, my friends, are our inspiration!  Thank you for helping us move from "Project Hello" to "Hello, Friend!"  Big hugs and big thank yous to our new friends:

·  Greg and Jane

·  Debbie

·  Renzia

·  Ethan

·  Ursula

·  Todd

·  Rob

·  Towain

·  Andy

·  Simon

·  Mark

·  Meredith

·  Ellen

·  Beth

·  Sam

·  Micaela

·  Vivian

·  Driana

·  Lori

·  Arial

·  Erin

·  Brennan

·  Kat

·  and last, but certainly not least - introducing (below) ~~ Ms. Matzo Ball Soup/Jewelry Shopper/Peacock/Orange Lady (aka Joyce) and Ms. Tab Soda/Joyce Corraler/My #1 Fan  who loves Coco Brown (aka Judy) ~ thanks for the memories, y'all! 

P.S. Apologies if you were interviewed and your name was misspelled or omitted.  I did my best to write clearly; but some of the cursive was illegible so my peeps had a challenge translating from dogspeak to humanspeak. And humongous thanks and appreciation to Sandra + Louise who did such an outstanding job organizing and producing "Project Hello." Kudos, ladies!!   Peace & Love, Coco the Wee Dog

The Happiest Place on Earth

No, not Disneyland. My studio/office. :) Especially this time of year.

I realized that when I turned around to grab my phone and saw this scene. I'm surrounded by pix of my family and friends ~ photographs taken by friends (fabulous photographers all!) and given to me as gifts, my little animals and a mess that I'm learning to let go and not obsess about.

Here come the holly-days! YAY!

Breast Cancer Comfort Friends, Part II

Lucy the Lamb has been around for awhile, but she decided to join her Breast Cancer Comfort Friends, so she now sports "the badge." (When I added the ribbon to her heart today I was reminded how incredibly soft and cuddly she is. Shhhh - don't tell the others but she really is a favorite of mine...)

Others have now joined in the cause in my shop and the Breast Comfort Friends category is growing. And there will be more!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts early (and will stay late) in my shop. I have a commitment to finding a cure not just for family members who suffered for many years, but for all those affected. Please check out my “Breast Cancer Comfort” category featuring “Comfort Friends” for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer…

Until the end of October, 20% of each sale will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Comfort Friends will be added on a continual basis, so if you don’t see anyone you want to adopt today, please check back! The family is growing to help the cause!

Weeeeeeee!!

This adorable little one was my first baby-tester for freckles and friends (she still sleeps with Dotty - the first teddy bear). I don’t see her often enough; so when I knew I would be seeing her last weekend, I made sure to tuck a Wee One in my bag just for her. I think she liked it. *wink*

I was so pleased to see that “Poppy” was just the right size for her little hands – perfect for walking around and handy for that spontaneous hug whenever she needed it (or vice versus).

But most of all, seeing her so happy made me so happy I smiled all day. In fact I’m still smiling. It is absolutely why I do what I do.

Thank you, dear heart ~ until we meet again.

(images shot with Lensbaby 2.0 plus telephoto adapter - which explains the slight fuzziness.)

Thank You Fellow Etsians!!

Last week I was so excited when I checked my Etsy shop and learned I had my first international sale. A delightful customer from Australia had purchased one of my favorite guys (yes, I’ll admit I have favorites…) ~ Oliver, the long-eared bunny.

This being my first shipment halfway around the world, I wasn’t quite sure where to start. And to complicate it just a little, her purchase had already gone thru Etsy and PayPal before I had a chance to calculate the international shipping rates and change that in my shop for her order. I didn’t want to lose a sale and a nice customer, but also couldn’t afford to forego the additional shipping costs.

Not sure how to proceed, I turned to the Community Forum on Etsy and posed my dilemma. Within in minutes – and I mean minutes – I had responses from fellow Etsians willing to brainstorm the problem with me. It didn’t take long to figure out what to do. Again, within minutes, I had my answer. I simply emailed my customer and explaining I would need to send a PayPal invoice for the additional shipping charges and once I received that payment, the bunny would be on his way. She was fabulous about it, paid immediately and – bingo, bango - Oliver was winging his way Down Under.

So I wanted to thank my fellow Etsians – ShopRedLeaf, GoTo, missbreezybox and HammelArt who all came to my rescue! I was so happy to have an answer so quickly and not risk losing what has turned out to be a wonderful customer and sale! Thank you guys so much!! It’s reassuring to know I have a friendly and helpful place to pose any questions and there will be someone out there in cyberspace to help me. I only hope I can return the same in kind sometime soon! Thanks again!!!

Happiness

I wish I could show you her face, but suffice it to say my friend, Pardeep, at the Post Office was surprised when I sat a little blue bear on her weight scale today. I didn't know how much time we would have to chat, so I had put a little tag on it saying, "Thank you for always having a smile."

She blushed, picked him up and squeezed him and said, "Oh, I love him!"

I said, "Well, I just want you to know how much I appreciate you - you always have a smile no matter how stressed you might be. So, thank you!"

She responded with an enthusiastic, "Thank you!"

There were a few people in line by then, so I promptly signed my bill and left. But I've got to tell you - her smile and surprise absolutely made my day!!!

I Give It 5 Minutes...

Seriously. Because I know me. I've lived with me for 54.5 years. (yowza!) I love, love, love being neat and organized. And it takes me 5 minutes to make a mess again.

And nothing forces one to get neat and organized like company comin'. (Don't tell anyone, but aside from moving, it's the only time I really, really clean. Because life is too much fun to spend it cleaning.) So that was the impetus for this cleaning and organizing -- company comin', not moving. But it was long overdue as the focus of my studio in the last few months has switched emphasis from photography to sewing. (O, I will always be a wannabe photographer; it's just not my main focus right now.)

So I spent the day organizing. I won't show the pictures of the previous contents of the closet which now lie in the guest room and are awaiting a resting place... that's tomorrow. For now I feel good about the closet. I picked up some cheapy plastic shelving at Home Depot, assembled them lickety split (of course a few pieces were missing - I've come to expect and accept that...). But now my fabric is organized by color and weight (fleece here, flannel over there and cotton on that shelf); the yarn is in plastic tubs, organized by color; knit hats ready to send to "Beanies for Baghdad" are in that shipping box; the polyfill (which takes up a lot of space) has a home and the part I'm really excited about ~~ a new padded cover for the ironing board (out of sight - and I don't mean that in a 70's slang kind of way) and a new iron! Omg - I'm so excited about a new iron! And did you know they range in price from $14.99 to 79.99?? That's crazy. Mine was $21 at Target and has a teflon face. YAY!

And I was then able to clear the shelves in my studio (right side of the diptych). And I smiled when I reviewed the photo because there's so much of my cyberspace life there. The hauntingly beautiful lighthouse/boat photographs, framed and hung near the ceiling are courtesy of Bonnie. (I'll do links later when I'm not so tired.) On the bulletin board are photographs and notes from Susan Sabo and her smalldogs; Polaroids from Bonnie and Kat ~ all of which make me smile every day.

All of this accomplished today while wrapping up my week-long trip down memory lane with Carrie and the girls. Of course I'm referring to Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York and Miranda Hobbs. I finished watching all 6 seasons of "Sex and the City" just as I called it a day. *Sigh* I miss them and loved that series so much... I've seen the movie probably 5 times and still cry at the end... Ahhh... Mr. Big. *sigh*

Ahhhh... Romance.

Don't ya' love how I take you from cleaning closets to romance? *wink*

So now I toast an organized closet (for 5 minutes) and Carrie and Big (for 5 minutes) with a glass of champagne... :)