The Best and Worst of Strangers

Yesterday was a crazy day that showed me the absolute best and worst out of strangers. I recieved in the mail by surprise a package from my dear online friend, Libby, (ok, not exactly a stranger, but I have never met her in real life, so it counts). Anyway, after seeing my blog about Sierra and the pictures of her poor little face, she sent me this feel better package complete with unrefined shea butter that is supposed to work miracles on scars and heal sores quicker than neosporin, some 100% pure vegan all natural lavender soap that is super gentle on wounds and smells so good even a ten year old can appreciate it, a hot and cold pack with chamomile and rice inside that is so soothing right out of the microwave, and a nifty wrist cuff just because it is pretty. Sierra is always so excited just to get something in the mail, but this was especially cool. The wrist cuff wouldn't fit over her cast, much to her dismay, so she has been wearing it above it. She has quite the decorated arm now, even the cat and dog "signed" it:

Sierra looks a lot better now, and is happy about all the kindness that has been shown to her from "strangers" I have made friends with here.

Later, though, I got to see, once again, the terrible things strangers can do to each other. For the second time in 6 months, my husbands debit card number was stolen. The first time, it was used online, on our wedding anniversary mind you, to join four different dating websites. We only got some of that money back, because when someone steals your credit card number, they don't care if it is a credit or debit card. When its a debit card, not only do they take the money right from your bank account, they can withdraw your account and leave you with hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees before you even know what has happened. Which is what happened this time when someone was able to use the new debit card number to charge hundreds of dollars in gas stations in Florida, mind you while I am here in Kentucky tending to my injured child, overdrawing our account and stealing all the money we had. Money for medical and dental bills for my daughter. Money for the mortgage payment and for Christmas presents. Money for my husband's birthday, which by the way was the day half the charges were made. I actually had to cancel his gift because of this. I felt so bad.

So, to anyone that thinks stealing credit card numbers (on the internet or however you do it) is a victimless crime, let me tell you- it isn't. I'm guessing so many of these numbers are actually debit cards, not credit, which means you are stealing money right out of people's accounts. Money from hardworking people that are trying hard to make ends meet, especially in this economy. If you have rationalized that it gets paid for by some bank or the place you steal from, let me tell you, it isn't. We have to fight, hard, to even see any of that money again. So shame on you! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to steal?

And to the perfect strangers that give and give out of the kindness of their hearts, expecting nothing in return except a new friend, your kindness goes a long way on a day when it would be easy to lose faith in humanity. Thank you, Libby, for letting me see not all people are bad, there are just some that do bad things. I can see from new friends like you that people are kind and want to make the world a gentler place.

Please visit Libby's shop on Etsy and show her the kindness she has shown me. She makes amazing super lathery vegan soaps: www.mayleesgarden.com

All in the Family

It occurred to me today what a talented family I have. It's no wonder I have been obsessed with the arts my entire life, disappearing outside with a sketchpad and pencil for hours, or locking myself in my room as a child making tiny food and furniture from clay for my doll house. I see my daughter doing the same kinds of things now, without ever having known that I used to do the same thing. She spent the second half of week on bedrest drawing and coloring, disappointed she couldn't get back to her fashion design and sewing her doll clothes. My own mom had an arts and crafts room stuffed to the gills with every imaginable supply, some of them passed down to her by her mother. It's memories like that that inspire me, and stay with me and my daughter.

I also have incredibly creative and talented people on my other side of my family, who have combined that with modern technology to share that with the world. My uncle Mark has an amazing website resource of flower pictures. His fresh flower scans are gorgeous, high resolution images he obtains from local flowers he finds in sunny southern Florida, where he lives (lucky guy!), and then scans and does his magic to with photoshop. It doesn't hurt that his first love and job are in biology/ botany something or other, so he knows his flowers and scientific names. Uncle Mark, if you're reading this, forgive my ignorance of your actual job title...

Check out his site here and see some of the most beautiful macro shots of exotic flowers on the web:

Then cruise on by my Uncle Bill and Aunt Nancy's website, Starfish and Dreams. From their large warehouse and office in sunny southern California (are you seeing a pattern here?), they, along with other family members and a small staff that is like family, they have created gorgeous stationary, scrapbook papers and stickers for years under the name NRN Designs. Now Starfish and Dreams, their focus is more on cards now that the scrapbook craze is slowing down, and they make the most fun and wonderful cards! One of the coolest things they have added is an option to personalize and print cards straight from the website. They come in many different style options that you see on the front page:

But my favorite cards aren't the print at home ones, but rather these holiday diva-ish cards:

Gotta love 'em! You can visit their website here.

New works

Sierra is finally feeling better, enough so anyway that I can sit down and take a break from playing nurse long enough to actually chack my email and such!! So this weekend I worked long and hard updating my blog for Bluegrass Etsy, my Etsy shop, and my website. The website was long overdue and was the most work, so take a look and let me know what you think! I am pretty happy with it, although I am almost blind now from a weekend at the computer, so its hard to tell!

I also added this painting, Damage, to my etsy shop, http://daydreamartstudios.etsy.com/, in honor of the "damage" Sierra sustained last week on her bike, with 100% of the profit going towards her medical bills for her injuries.

Visit my website, daydreamartstudios.com, and let me know what you think!

xoxo, Corinne

Good Friends, Great Drinks!

This week has been exhausting for me and Sierra as she heals. When you are living off "soft" food, and keeping clean and sterile is a battle, it seems like everytime I turn around I am feeding someone or cleaning something. Of course the cat and dog add to that too. It was Wednesday before I realized the fish hadn't been fed since Saturday! But after a long week, and a lot of prayers (and baths!), she is healing nicely. I also realized how many good friends I am blessed with. All week we have been recieving well wishes via phone calls, emails, comments on various things online, and visitors. Everyone I know close to here has offered to run errands for me and get whatever I needed. Yesterday, when I literally washed away scabs that have already healed in almost miraculous time, it occured to me every prayer that has been said for us has made a difference, so for that I thank anyone reading this! Every prayer and kind word has helped!! All there is to do now is offer good friends a good drink! How about an Apple Crazed Martini?

Apple Crazed Martini

1 oz Apple Pucker
1 oz apple vodka (like Smirnoff Twisted Green Apple)
1 oz apple juice
1 oz sweet and sour mix

Shake over ice, strain into chilled martini glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Yum!!

What a Weekend!

Hunter's Moon this weekend was busy and well attended as usual. I love doing this fest every year because the weather is gorgeous, the people come out in droves, and this year they added live music (and it was even close to my booth, which was awesome), to liven things up. I also got interviewed on the radio, on country 94.7 or something like that, which was very spur of the moment and without warning, but I think I did ok NOT sounding like a fool! LOL The DJ guy said I looked 29, so we became fast friends. It was fun, irregardless! All that, and children's activities and a parade, which makes it the only craft show Sierra actually wants to go with me to. See?

Unfortunately, the next day was also beautiful weather, which made it a great bike riding day. The wierd thing about October in this part of Kentucky is that is is often still summer weather, with leaves on the ground. So summery in fact, you can forget the leaves are there. Which is what happened when Sierra's bike flew on the leaves coming down the hill on our road like she's done a million times before. My dad always warned me about driving on leaves, and how they can be slicker than ice. Apparently, dad was right once again, because down she went, and man, was it ever scary! With the help of my neighbors, we got her taken care of and to the ER immediately, where after getting her calmed down and cleaned up, were able to see the extent of her injuries. Three head (face actually) wounds with a total of around 15 stitches, chipped teeth, head to toe deep scrapes, road rash and abrasions, and a broken wrist later, Sierra is at home on bed rest. She looks and feels pretty rough, but is a real trooper and her spirits are still high.

Poor baby!! Keep her in your prayers as we battle infection and try to get her healthy!!

Hunter's Moon Festival (and the drink of the week)

Tomorrow, Saturday October 11th is Hunter's Moon Festival here in Grand Rivers. I have been a proud vendor at this super fun event since moving to Grand Rivers in 2005. From the parade full of great floats and even decorated golf carts, to the rockin' street dance at night, this event filled day is fun for everyone. This year the lovely Kim Kraemer, the head of tourism for Grand Rivers, has also put together a huge storytelling event Friday and Saturday nights at the Badgett Playhouse, featuring nationally known storytellers!! There are also dozens of art and craft vendors, several food vendors with local yummy foods, and kids events including those huge inflatable things all kids love. I, for one, am all about getting a funnel cake and some kettle corn. To make things even better, the weather promises to be beautiful at around 86 degrees!

Look for my booth and my show specials while you're there! Mention "octoberfest" and get 20% off. When you get home, get in the mood for fall with some chocolate. Make this Chocolate Martini!

Death by Chocolate Martini

1 1/2 oz vodka (I like Stoli)

3/4 oz creme de cacao

3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Chill martini glass by filling martini glass with ice and water. Let sit while measuring liquors into strainer. Dump out ice water, and drizzle chocolate syrup around inside of chilled martini glass. Shake ingredients over ice, strain into glass.

Rad Rockin Recycled Gift Boxes On the Cheap

I have been working all week making sure everything is all ready for the Hunter's Moon Festival here in Grand Rivers. One thing I have been working hard on all year is trying to look more pulled together and "professional," while sticking to a tight budget and maybe even being a little earth-friendly too. With the holidays coming up, I have been searching high and low for affordable gift boxes for my jewelry, but boy oh boy, are they expensive! I would have to charge more for my jewelry to afford the silly boxes. Then I found this fabulous tutorial video on Etsy shwoing how to make boxes from paper. A few calendars and Rolling Stone magazines later, I had these:

While I was at it, I cut up a stack of old (probably vintage by now) greeting cards into 1 1/2" x 2" pieces that are colorful on one side and blank on the other, and made gift tags out of them. By the time you fold up the boxes or cut up the cards for tags, the original pictures don't matter, all you see is a super rad, modern colorful look that I find irresistable.

From now until the end of the year, buy something from my Etsy shop or come visit me at the Hunter's Moon Festival this weekend and get a free handmade box, tag, and a fun bow with any purchase, just in time for the holiday season! The Hunter's Moon Festival is a great time, has tons of food and craft vendors, along with inflatables and kid's activities. Add to that a big parade (and a golf cart parade afterwards, since we are a golf cart friendly resort town, lol), a street dance with the wonderful Tabitha of Southern Fry'd (a great local band), and funnel cake, and it is a great day for the whole family!! We hope to see you there!