Giveaway Reminder

In case you missed it.... I'm hosting a giveaway in celebration of my shop makeover.  Be sure to visit and comment before Sunday!
http://birdychat.blogspot.com/2010/03/shop-makeover-and-giveaway.html

Shop Makeover and Giveaway!

I love watching makeover shows, especially room makeovers. My husband doesn't understand how I can watch HGTV so much! But it's amazing what can be done with some fresh paint, re-arranging furniture and a few new accessories.

You're probably wondering where I'm going with this... I haven't been happy with my Etsy shop lately. I've had sales, but something's been missing. I feel as though I'm in a creative rut. Most of my orders have been creating multiples of the same design. When I first started out on Etsy, I focused more on gemstones and more unique pieces. I miss that! So I'm going back to my roots and creating more pieces featuring gemstones and freshwater pearls. My shop now features new designs, along with classic designs perfect for wedding or special occassions.  I'm still working on adding new items, but I'm over 35 items now and feel good!

To celebrate my makeover, I'm giving away a pair of earrings.  This is a classic, simple design featuring a freshwater pearl dangling from sterling silver earwires:

Each of the following earns you an entry. You can do one or all 3!  Leave a separate comment for each one:

1. Become a follower of my blog (let me know if you're already a follower - that counts too!)
2. Visit my shop, Sweet Bird Designs, and leave a comment here telling me your favorite piece.
3. Answer the question: Do you prefer silver or gold jewelry? Or both?

That's it! Make sure you leave me your email so that I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. I'll randomly draw the winner on Sunday March 7th.

Blog Giveaway Winner!

I won my first blog giveaway!  I was the lucky winner of a set of cards from Sarah of Dodeline Design on Etsy.  I received my package on Friday and was thrilled when I opened it up.  I love cards and still prefer to send greetings and notes via regular mail  - don't get me wrong, I love email, but there's something special about sending and receiving a physical card.  Below is the set of cards I received - so bright and cheerful!  Make sure you check out Sarah's shop for her stationery, cards and graphic services!

The giveaway was featured on the blog of Angi from Cokie Pop Paper Boutique, an Etsy shop specializing in pre-made scrapbooks, altered clipboards, keepsake tins, greeting cards and much more!  What caught my eye was her decorated recipe boxes - I love the vintage box below!  What a great idea and a cute gift for any cook!  I'd love to have this to organize all of my recipe cards.  Be sure to check out Angi's shop and blog! 

Many thanks to Sarah and Angi for being such sweet Etsy sellers!
  ♥ Kathy

Comfort Food

It's days like this that I want to stay in and hibernate. Here's a pic of our backyard this afternoon.  It's been snowing all day and sure is pretty.  I went out this morning and filled the feeders for the birds.  It's a perfect day to make some comfort food.  For me, that means a large pot of tomato sauce with meatballs and sausage.  The house smells so good now and the kitchen is nice and warm.  The best part is sneaking a few meatballs for lunch.  I was lucky enough to have some crusty bread on hand too!

What's your comfort food?

Say Buy Buy to Cancer Event

If you're in Northeast Ohio and need a girls night out, mark your calendar for Thursday March 4th for the Say Buy Buy to Cancer event. Enjoy fabulous local vendors, a Chinese raffle and light appetizers.

Thursday, March 4th

6pm - 10pm

Elmwood Cabin, Rocky River

Admission: $5 presale/$10 at the door

100% of ticket sales benefit The American Cancer Society. For more info about this event, contact Jenny and Gina at: SayBuyBuyToCancer@gmail.com

I've donated my Rose and Smokey Quartz bracelet and earring set for one of the raffles.

Wedding Ideas ~ Touches of Black

A while ago I posted the latest wedding trends, one of which was to add touches of black to your wedding. I love how my new little black crystal earrings turned out. It's a simple design, but lots of sparkle.

I browsed around Etsy and found some more pretty ways to add a touch of black to your wedding. I love how black can be formal, fun or funky. I had a hard time only picking a couple pictures to share with you -- all of these artists are so creative and can work with your colors and theme to create special items just for you!

I found these beautiful handcrafted invitation and table number from Invites by Jen. You'll find such pretty coordinating wedding stationary, including invites, programs, menus and more!

These placecards are from Charlie and Cleo, a couture event design shop on Etsy. This shop has items that will personalize and your wedding and reception. I love the various patterns in black and white!
This penguin cake topper makes me smile! You'll find this and other cake toppers at Red Light Studio. For a more traditional look, bride and groom figurines are also available, and all of these toppers can be customized.

These save-the-date announcements from Orchard and Brown will certainly get your guests attention! Check out this shop for other designs and coordinating wedding stationary.

And let's not forget about the guys! I found these great ties at Tux and Tulle. I love these black and white ties -- I think these are fresh and clean looking -- perfect for spring and summer! Check the shop out for other colors and patterns!

Embellished by Tiffany is an Etsy shop with the prettiest wedding stationary. The soft blue and black invitation is one of my favorites, and I love the idea of using these cards when asking girls to be in a bridal party.

Many thanks to these artists for allowing me to feature their items ♥ Kathy

Oh Deer

I love birds and we have several feeders we set up during the winter. Our yard is fenced which has always protected plants and such from the deer. Yesterday I looked out and saw that a bunch of deer had hopped over the fence for a bite to eat. After cleaning out the feeders, all but one deer left the yard. Poor little guy couldn't figure out how to get out. Our gate is frozen shut, so we couldn't go out and open it. We have large windows in the back that he kept looking in -- he probably saw his reflection. So we stood there trying to distract him. The last thing we wanted was for him to jump through one of the windows! Finally he jumped back over the fence and left.