A short story by Sierra

We have been very blessed with gorgeous weather, high 70's and a light breeze, the kind that gently blows the faint smell of burning leaves in the windows and makes even the cat and dog happy. The leaves have all started to change colors and fall this week and it is too pretty too rake. It has just been postitively inspirational.
While I have been busy painting and finishing up some custom orders before I start cranking out ornaments next week for holiday craft shows, Sierra has been hard at work with some creative writing in homeschool. I liked her newest story so much I wanted to share it with you all! The assignment was to write about a day as a frog.

I was running throught the forest from the evil witch. I didn't realize that she had stolen a fairy's wand, and that I should be hiding, not running. Suddenly I felt a blast of energy all through my body. After that, everything went black. When I woke up, I realized that I was back at the witch's cabin. I saw that I was tied up on the floor of a hamster cage. I suddenly saw the witch step in the door, with a small pet carrier. In the pet carrier there were two fairies, five rats, and three squirrels. The witch walked up to the cage I was in and dumped them all into the cage. Then the witch left taking the pet carrier with her. The fairies quickly became friends with me, and they untied me. They told me that if I could use my long frog tongue to get their wands, that they could get me and everyone else out before sunset. After hearing that, I happily hopped to the side of the cage. While I was there I saw many more cages. Many with creatures I've always thought weren't real. When I got the wands I felt myself beginning to change. By the time I got back to the fairies I was a small person. I saw through a window that it was sunset. In no time at all I was back in my home, as a person- not a frog.

dressing up!

Its been a fun weekend starting with Halloween on Friday, where Sierra had either the cheapest costume as a "bloody patient," which cost only an old pair of pajamas and $2 worth of fake blood from Walmart:

Or the most expensive, if you count the over $600 cast on her arm, which was what inspired the costume in the first place. Also, in our house, even the dog dresses up, much to Lady's dismay:

But it calms her down, albeit from shame I think, so she can be around the neighbor boys without jumping or barking. They came over dressed as Ghost Rider and Spiderman. It just proves no matter how dangerous the costume is supposed to be, when they're little, it's cute no matter what!

Even P-O, the exchange student I placed in Lone Oak from Belgium had fun on his first American Halloween! He was very excited to carve pumpkins for the first time ever, and dress up for the day, which he told me only young children do back home.

Now that its all over, its time to start thinking about the holiday season that is fast approaching! I am hard at work designing holiday ornaments and finishing three custom paintings that have to be in the mail this week. Stay tuned for pics this week of my newest work!! In the meantime, happy fall!

Drink of the Week, and a Big Big Sale!!

I'm really feeling fall this week. The crisp fall air, sleeping with lots of blankets and the windows open, leaves almost too pretty to rake up, and the wonderful smell of cookies baking in the kitchen. Mmmm...

Since we've been baking cookies today (hey, homeschooling means I can teach fractions by doubling recipes, and eat the results!), I've decided to make the drink of the week today an Oatmeal Cookie shot.

Oatmeal Cookie

1 part cinnamon schnapps or Goldenschlager

1 part butterscotch schnapps

1 part Irish Cream liquor

Shake over ice, strain into shot glass(es), enjoy!

While enjoying cookies, be they actual cookies or these yummy shots (or both), hop skip and jump over to http://www.bluegrassetsy.blogspot.com/ and peruse some awesome huge Octoberfest Sales, just in time for holiday shopping!! Most shops are offering 20% off AND free shipping, including me!! Just enter in the code, "BEST OF" in the message to seller in checkout, and wait for a revised invoice before paying. Sale goes until October 19th, but at these prices, handmade, one of a kind items will go fast! Check out my shop here!

Enjoy!! xoxo

Fall Beauties

Today is another beautiful fall day and I cannot get enough!! I finally get to open the windows this week, after a summer of captivity to the air conditioner thanks to Josh, whom I swear sweats in the snow. Yesterday I even took a long walk with my mom and Sierra, hills be damned! Of course my mom, visiting from Illinois and not used to hills at all, was not as gung-ho about the walk through the neighborhood as we were. But, at least it was just cool enough to not sweat about it.

It was also nice enough for me to take plenty of pics of my new jewelry, just in time for the team wide sale the Bluegrass Etsy team is having in a few days. One of my favorites is this necklace I made, using coral, slices of shells, and freshwater pearls:

Super big news about a super big sale coming up!! Details announced Sunday, October 5th!

Treasury Madness

It's been Treasury madness lately for the Bluegrass Etsy Street Team! For those who don't know what a treasury is, Etsy buyers and sellers can create a pictorial collection of favorite items sold on Etsy, usually based around a color or theme. Then, anyone on Etsy (joining is free, like eBay, but Etsy is way better and handmade), can view and comment on these treasuries. The more attention a treasury gets, the higher it moves up on the list. The highest on the list every day are put on the front page of Etsy for everyone to see, which is great publicity. Members of the Bluegrass Etsy team have been doing a great job of getting treasuries lately, and I have been lucky enough to be picked for a few of them! This latest one features one of my favorite necklaces, Flutter Into Fall Butterfly Necklace:

Be sure to visit this treasury while it is still live by clicking here, and leave your comments! xoxo