Avatar Inspiration for Painted Design

I saw Avatar for the second time in 3D over the weekend…if you can’t already tell, I love that movie! I was so inspired by the beautiful colors and nature that were incorporated, I decided to use some of them as inspiration for my next set of painted wine glasses. I especially loved the “Enwa” tree that is somewhat reminiscent of a Weeping Willow. I started painting a tree that ended up turning into something that looks more like a cherry blossom tree:




I love it though- I think they are pretty and there’s actually a lot of symbolism behind cherry blossoms. The Chinese see the cherry blossom as a symbol of power and beauty while the Japanese view a fallen cherry blossom as the beauty of snow and it also has represented a warrior whose life was ended early in battle. Learn something new every day!

Be the change you want to see in the world

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I'd like to give back in some way and do something that either impacts people's lives in a positive way or the environment. For that reason, I decided to donate a portion of my sales to The Water Project. This organization helps provide clean water to people in Africa & India who don't have access to it. It's amazing that something so accessible in the United States is hard to come by in other areas of the world.

I was recently challenged on my decision to support a cause that impacts another country when I could support a charity that impacts Americans. Well, my reason for doing so is because every person in the U.S. has access to clean water...you can walk into almost any public place and use their drinking fountain for free. That is not the case in other places in the world and I personally feel that all people should have access to this basic resource. Here are a few interesting facts on the size of this problem:

• 1 out of every 4 deaths under the age of 5 worldwide is due to a water-related disease
• Nearly 80% of illnesses in developing countries are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions
• A small amount goes a long way...$10 provides 1 person with clean water for 10 years!

Those are just a few of the reasons why I feel this is a cause worth supporting. If you're interested in learning more about this specific charity, visit http://thewaterproject.org/

What to do with the dress after the wedding

I'm not the kind of person that likes to collect things and I certainly don't like clutter around my house! This brings me to my wedding dress- I decided not to get it preserved because I don't plan on keeping it. I thought about keeping it (for a second) to perhaps turn into a Christening outfit for my future baby, but even if I kept my dress it would probably just sit in a closet for many years. So instead of keeping it, I'm trying to sell it! For those that would like to sell their dress after the big day, I suggest using www.preownedweddingdresses.com . You're more likely to get a better cost by selling it through that site instead of Ebay (just my two cents based on researching the bids on wedding dresses via Ebay). This site will charge you $25 to have your listing up for 12 months. I just listed my dress and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone will purchase it. If there are other good ways to sell your wedding dress, please let me know!

My Christmas Gift has Arrived...

And although I can't technically use them until Christmas, I snuck them on anyways because they are so cool! They are hand-made fingerless gloves with an adorable flower, made by The Yarnival:

It is a mother-daughter duo that makes tons of cool hand sewn items. Check them out: http://www.theyarnival.etsy.com/

I had my husband buy these for me for Christmas and because I get to the mail first, I couldn't resist taking a peak at them and I couldn't be happier! I just wish I could start using them now- it's so cold out :-(

My first custom order!!

I got my first custom order- woo hoo! I’m taking baby steps, but that’s fine with me at this point because I’m still perfecting my technique and deciding which products are best to use. I prefer working with non-toxic paints only (I’m a bit of a health nut) which cuts down on the selection I can choose from. And I’m still working on my time management- although I love painting, I’m finding it hard to squeeze in time for it during the week after coming home from my “real” job. My goal is to complete 1-2 glasses every other day….we’ll see how long that goal lasts.

Now that I’ve started this hobby, I’ve started to habitually check my Etsy account for any sales, client feedback & hit rates. Over the weekend, someone “hearted” my shop, which I was clearly ecstatic about. I get excited over the smallest things, but it helps keep me motivated!

If you’ve never gone on Etsy, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a site for artists to sell their handmade items and you will find anything and everything on this site. I’m slightly addicted to it because there are so many stylish items that you wouldn’t be able to find at a store and I love having unique things. And of course, check out my shop while you’re there: http://www.prettymydrink.etsy.com/ . Happy shopping!

The Wedding Album has arrived!!

My album arrived today and I couldn't be more pleased with it! I am so glad I decided to do it myself rather than going through the photographer. First of all- I saved $500 and was able to do an album twice the size of what the photographer quoted us for. I went through http://www.nationsphotolab.com/ - their prices were the cheapest I came across and the album quality is outstanding. The flush mount album I got is 11 by 14 (it's huge!) and has a leather cover:

The inside pages are very thick:



I used the company's already existing templates and found them very easy to use. If you are ordering product and live outside of Maryland (their location), you pay no taxes on your purchase which is an added bonus! Here are a few pictures of the inside pages:

I highly recommend making an album yourself- not only will you save a lot of $$, but you'll be able to organize the pictures yourself. If you don't feel comfortable making the album, this company also offers a design service :-)