Shamus O’Malley – 5/19/2001 – 10/27/16
This last week has been a rough one for me. After 15 1/2 years with the best dog in the world, my family and I had to say goodbye to Shamus. I loved this dog with all my heart and I wanted to honor him with a short post.
Thanks my friend for sharing your life with us.
xo
Happy Fall everyone! The two color palettes above are from photos taken at my sister’s house where she has the most amazing contrast of autumn leaves dripping above these vibrant purple garden flowers. Oh the beauty of nature!
I’m so happy it’s finally autumn! SoCal isn’t getting the cool Fall weather that we’d all love to have, but it is starting to turn a little and the edge of summer seems to be subsiding – a little. Let’s just hope we get rain soon. Needless to say my house is decorated for Trick or Treaters, pumpkins bought, and my favorite Halloween coffee mugs are out and ready to be used in the morning. I’m also excited to be headed to another yoga retreat, my last for 2016, and I just had to share with you the newest addition to my Halloween decor that my sister just gave me! I’m thinking this little yogi will be going straight to my desk after the holiday is over. He’s WAY too awesome to pack away! 
Namaste
at my Happy Shoppe on Etsy!
I’m getting as many ornaments made before the rush of the Season and I’m super excited to add to my offerings these cuties!
Scaredy Cats (back by popular demand)
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Calacas
&
I Love Barre (or as I lovingly call them “Barre Babes”)
As always – these are all one of a kind and handmade by me and when they’re gone they’re gone. If you see one you like pick it up fast.
* Also, BIG NEWS! *
Because many of you have inquired about personalizing in-shoppe ornaments (ornaments listed in the shoppe and not created under the custom ornament option). I have been in a quandary over how to do that since not all of my in-shoppe ornaments have space on the front or back for adding a name and date/year. To solve this I have added two options this year that I hope will help any of you interested in personalizing an ornament you see in the shoppe.
1- Personalize your Packaging add – on for $5.00:
This option allows you to request a personal greeting (i.e. “Happy Birthday ___”, “Merry Christmas ___”, etc…), Rename your ornament to a name of your choosing, and/or Create a personalized “To” & “From” note. This personalization will be on the insert card in the packaging and will make your gift even more special. This option is good for ALL of my in-shoppe ornaments and is especially great for those that can not be personalized on the actual ornament.
2- Personalize your Ornament add – on for $8.00:
This option allows you to personalize those ornaments I’ve noted as having space either on the front or the back for painted on personalization of a Name and Date/Year. If an ornament is eligible for this add-on option you will see a note on the title as well as in the photo role.
Keep checking into the Shoppe for more ornaments and grab them quick! :0)
Hula Girls & Yogis … Oh My!
I’m working as hard as I can to get some new ornaments ready for the Holiday Season at my Happy Shoppe on Etsy, and here are the first newbies of the year!
NEW Aloha Nui Loa Collection – Hula Girls
(fyi – last year all of my little hula ladies were bought in one day!)
&
NEW Namaste Collection – Yoga Girls
As always, I’m not sure how many of these little ornaments I’ll be able to make this year so if you see one you like grab it quick! They’re 100% unique and one of a kind and handmade by yours truly with lots of love and care. :0)
I love this picture! It’s like these radishes are on stage waiting to perform a show, which is exactly the way I took it to be at the Farmer’s Market the other day. I’ve been pretty obsessed with radishes this summer. I never used to like them much but as a kid I remember my dad loving them and this summer I now know why. They are delicious! Oh my gosh: in salads, in marinades, grilled, raw, etc… I absolutely love them, and how can you beat this color palette?! Seriously – if you’re a pink lover this is your veg! Need some recipe inspiration? Check out Real Simple’s 13 Tasty Radishes recipes.
As we watch summer slowly depart I highly recommend you grab a bunch of these beauties while they’re still plentiful next time you’re at the market. You won’t regret it.
All my Pink Rose & Purple Passionista Friends – this color palette is for you.
xo
Photos from Ebru Art
You may not have heard the term Ebru Art before but at one point you most certainly have seen this beautiful marbled painting technique on products in the store. It is an ancient art form that has been practiced for centuries, originating in Turkistan in Central Asia and known to Europeans as “Turkish Paper” since the 1600’s. In the most simplest of ways to explain how this complicated art is created ~ it is a dance performed by the artist working to manipulate floating paint pigments on the surface of thickened water, creating a desired image or pattern and transferring it to paper. I am not doing this description justice because it is such a skilled and practiced craft, but to learn more click HERE and HERE. Below are two OUTSTANDING and mesmerizing short videos to watch by Turkish Ebru Artist Garip Ay. Beautiful is an understatement. Enjoy!
VanGogh on Dark Water Animation
I’d like to take credit for this beautiful photo, but I can’t… it was taken by an amazing and talented soon to be 8th grader – Kaitlin. She was showing me pictures from her recent trip to the London’s Sea Life Aquarium and I fell in love with the colors in this shot. She happily granted me permission to make a color palette with it and I hope you too can marvel at the majesty of these hues! Nature is truly magical.
Wishing you Light & Love / Happy August