etsy is the new ebay

I just read an article on the FRONT PAGE of yahoo today about a girl who quit her real job to sell knitted items on Etsy.com. She now makes $140,000/year. It would be amazing if I could get even 1/3 of the way there! Please share my site with your family and friends and help a local gal in her new *hopeful* career! Orders are slowing down, and I need to see the light again! Gotta keep believing.
Thanks all! http://www.littleliondesigns.etsy.com/

Excellent lesson

I was really upset after a bout with our neighbors regarding smoking in the hallway this morning. She had me fuming because after asking her dozens of times not to smoke in the common area because of the fact that it blocks ability to get pregnant and causes miscarriage and birth defects if you are pregnant, she responded with "karma's a bitch n maybe u should eat some meat n ur kid won't have heart problems". It took everything in my power not to walk downstairs and rip her head off. And I got this from my girlfriend right afterwards (in regards to the situation) and it helped a lot. So, I thought I'd share.

"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

--MT "

And as my Aunt told me, if you look in the mirror and are 100% happy with the girl looking back at you and know that your decisions were the right ones for you, then that's all you need to worry about. She said it so much more eloquently, but you get the drift.

Peace to you!

exclamation point!

A friend of mine has a blog, which is in my blog list, and she's an amazing writer. I read her blogs and think "wow, this woman is in my head stealing my thoughts!". Anyway, she's brilliant at writing, and I completely missed this one blog she wrote mentioning Kaia. She just told me about it. I wasn't spending much time on the internet then, because the internet is not a place to be when you need to heal. I think I didn't touch it for weeks and had hundreds of emails stacking up. But I just now read it, which means I was meant to read it this morning. And I'm glad I did. the sun is shining just as it did on the day of her calling hours. And I'm reminded of her. It's not a sad remembrance. It's full of light and love and it has me smiling. You can read it here. Thank you Shan!

oh Christmas tree!

Saturday we are going with Eric's family to get our first real Christmas tree. I've always been against real trees, but I am now picturing all of the face plastic trees filling up landfills. I'd love to get a bulb tree and plant it, but we rent...
I'm contemplating going with LED lights but haven't seen any that I like so far. They all have a purplish tone and aren't warm and friendly like the regular white lights. Eric wants colored but the big bulbs. Those are fun, but I prefer the white. They are more serene.

Anyway, I was just thinking about Christmas and what it means. We are not doing many gifts this year. We want to focus on what it really means. Well, I do at least. ;)
I'd also like to take this time to say that we won't be sending out cards. Between the cost of cards and stamps and the environmental impact, I just don't think it's right for me this year. So, I apologize if it seems we are bah humbug about it. But we definitely still wish everyone a fabulous holiday with their families. Be safe, be merry and over all, be healthy.

Merry Christmas!

Yay for tarot!

Here's my reading for the day:
"The Wheel of Fortune
The wheel of fortune is turning in your favor. Many projects can now enjoy great success. Soon be time to reap benefits of what you are sowing. A cycle is continuing. Success. Unexpected luck. Happiness. Something new is emerging and will bring new and exciting energy. Opportunity. Have faith in what is happening at the moment. Divine forces at work to bring good fortune into your life. Trust in the cycle of life. Possible new money on the way."

I love it! I do have lots of orders to fill right now (so I really shouldn't be on the internet, but I need my fix!).

Two days ago I made a huge change in my life. I had to let go (hopefully temporarily) of something that I allowed to consume every thought, which pulled all of my energy out of me. My fault for choosing those thoughts over healthier ones. But I couldn't stop, no matter what I tried...meditation, yoga, art, music, therapy. I struggled with having to let go for the sake of health and my own productivity. Negativity can be a straight jacket for my brain. Only being able to focus on that was a wedge in everything I've been trying to do in my life....heal, move on, grow a sustainable and productive business, have another baby, etc. Though it was hard, I believe that it will be better in the end for EVERYONE. Since then a weight has been lifted. I've been working on myself, and I'm already seeing positive results in my life. I feel better about myself which is giving me more confidence in what I'm doing. I'm now realizing my blessings and reveling in them. When I realize where my life has taken my career, I prance around, giddy with knowing that this new venture of mine, is the real deal. After not even two months of doing it, it's already a success! It is only now that I can focus on that and know that our baby girl has had the biggest hand in getting it to work, and for that I owe her all of the credit.

I see people who live a life where they are always seeing themselves as the victim of something. (insert me in my last career here). To that, I believe the only one doing the victimizing is yourself. You choose your thoughts. You choose your path. Last week someone told me "you can't change anyone else, you can only change yourself. Don't get caught up in other people's lessons. And remember, there are no friends or enemies, there are only teachers." Two huge lessons in one honest statement. It turned on a huge light in my life that I intend to follow and remember forever...which is why I decided to put that on here. Not everyone gets to talk with such great advisers, and maybe it will help someone else too.

This post is my big cheers to positivity! May it fill all the little crevices of you and overtake the negativity. Bottoms up!

Penelope update. Good news!

Penelope had her heart surgery on Tuesday afternoon. Laura said it went pretty well. She is in recovery right now. They closed up her chest cavity on Thursday. They left it open for a couple of days because her capillaries were "oozing afer the surgery". She will be in recovery for some time. They don't know when she'll be out, and most of us heart parents can relate to that. They never give you a definite! But with lots of positive energy and prayers, she'll get out sooner. So, keep em up! And thanks to you all for being lovely followers of the blog. You're helping others with your thoughts.

While I'm posting news, I wrote about baby Hope a few weeks back and asked for prayers for her. Well, little Miss Hope showed us what she's made of and look at her now! She's home and doing fabulously!

Okay, I'm off to watch OSU school Michigan....and then off to Planet Green.
Happy Saturday!

Prayers for Penelope

Hey all! I got some bad news the other day about another baby born with a heart defect. Little Miss Penelope Jane Ross was born with her aorta and pulmonary valves in the wrong place. She is stable right now but is supposed to have surgery this week (I'm not sure of the day). She is the niece of my friend, Laura, who is an amazing woman. Her and her family are very scared for little Penelope right now, which is very understandable. Please keep mom, dad, baby and family in your prayers. They need lots of strength right now. I'll update when I have one.
Thank you!
Steph

open house!

Hey all! So, I was asked to be the featured artist at Planet Green for our open house on November 28th. I'll have all my work here to view/purchase. There will be other local artists/craftswomen here, as well...along with food and refreshments and lots of holistic advise from Rebecca Reynolds. Feel free to stop on down! Should be a nice zen-filled treat of a day! Here's the info page.
xoxo!!
Steph

new piece

up for sale here.
:)


Heading to planet green to work. Come visit me!
Enjoy the weekend!

open for business

Hello all! I'm proud to announce the opening of my online etsy shop. Please check it out and pass it along to friends/family! I named the company "Little Lion Designs" after our baby girl (we called her little lion often!). I might be repeating myself here, but I'm using mostly repurposed fabrics from old clothes I've cut up or have been given...or I have found at local thrift shops. All clothes are washed in an eco-friendly baby-safe detergent I get from another etsy seller (crunchy clean). So, the fabrics are freshly cleaned and then turned into art. I am going to be constantly updating inventory. So, new art should appear weekly. And remember, I do custom orders! Any size, any colors, any images....I'm at your demand. Click here to get to the store.

I am also working part-time at Planet Green in Rocky River. I know I'm repeating that too, but I want you all to come visit the shop, if you can. Christmas is coming up and we could use more locally produced, ethically made, sustainable-living products in our lives. I really like it here so far. It feels very Zen. I might not make much money, but my soul is much more peaceful now that I am doing things I believe in.

Not much more going on here. Pretty quiet and restful for us. Looking forward to being snowed in, all cozy-like.

I hope your fall is as pretty as ours. :)