News!

Hi everyone!

As per usual, I've gone WAY too long without writing a blog post!

I wanted to give several updates--

There's a new website in town, and guess who it represents?! ZENITHJADE CREATIONS. You can see it here at http://zenithjade.com/ ! I've finally made the photography side of the business OFFICIAL & I'm slowly moving away from Etsy, (even though I LOVE them), because their fees have gotten too high. I've been on Etsy since 2006 and will still maintain and put listings up in my shop for clients BY REQUEST but clients will pay a 10% surcharge on all items listed on Etsy to cover the additional fees. I am at the same time ELATED and SAD, if that makes any sense! The new website ALSO has a STORE and I take credit cards and paypal via the website! I am working on setting up klarna, and I really thank you for your patience while I figure that side of the business out!

I've still been participating in SWAPS here and there! The latest one, The Bracelet Beads Swap, was put on by Lori Anderson of Pretty Little Things. Some photos are embedded in this post, but you can see them all by searching through the linked facebook group, or by visiting MY facebook group ZenithJade Makes! on facebook.

There are shows and photography EVENTS on the horizon! And I've been doing a LOT of charity work, as well, which I absolutely MUST tell you all about!

My next show to vend at is Mayfair in West Salem, WI at the Lion's Club Shelter, (see more info here), on Saturday, May 13th, 2023. My husband and I will be selling jewelry, leather goods, postcard prints and small 5"x7" metallic prints.

I am helping to organize the Bizarre Bazaar- a geeky show in La Crosse, WI at The Bronze Dragon. It is a show and fundraiser to help keep our favorite alcohol free gaming venue in downtown LaX in business. If you're interested in joining in on the fun and being a vendor, you can sign up here. If you can't join in but would like to help, I'm taking donations for giveaway baskets (items, gift cards or services) and/or you can donate here via GoFundMe. If you'd like more information, feel free to email me at andrea@zenithjade.com or via gmail at zenithjade@gmail.com. 

There's also a fantastic Juneteenth Event which I'm participating in and DONATING to, so if you'd like to stay in the know about that, please please please join my group- I'll be posting all about it there! :)

I'm also organizing an Extra Life Gaming Event through The Coulee Region Gaming Guild which benefits Gundersen's Children's Miracle Network. It raises money for a really great cause which is helping kids thrive! This event is happening in November, and I will have more information on this soon!

As per usual, if you need to get in touch, please feel free to contact me via the form on my website, email or phone via text (I don't answer calls if I don't recognize the number). 

Thank you so much for sticking with me over the years! I've had this blog A LONG TIME and it's going to be wonderful to reconnect with you all again!

Shoptoberfest in Coon Valley, WI, USA 2017

Making all sorts of neat, new things for the Coon Valley Show!

You can view them in my facebook event by clicking HERE. :)

The show is Sunday, October 15th, 2017. The address is in the event details.

And here's a little preview:

This one uses amethyst, opalite, freshwater pearls in two different shades and shapes, and silver plated spacers and other findings. Ear hooks are silver plated over surgical steel. Very good for sensitive ears!

I have other shows upcoming. They are viewable on my facebook page here:

http://facebook.com/zenithjadecreations/ .

There are also new items up in my Etsy shop! 

 http://zenithjade.etsy.com/

Honestly contemplating building a website! I've done it before, and it's a wicked amount of work, but also a lot of fun. :) Watch this blog for updates and information if I decide to do that! (It will be sometime in November if I decide to do it! *hints*)

I re-designed my Etsy shop banner, and have made it into a newer, sleeker logo:

 

I've been keeping wickedly busy! Hope to see you at one of my shows this fall!

Pay It Forwad - Handmade!

So I signed up for a creative challenge from my Creative Outlet, (Mel).

Basically, the idea is to share a surprise with three people that leaves comments on the post. Those three people, the first three that comment, will receive a handmade gift from me through the mail within the next year (365 days.) You won't know when it is coming...

Here's what you need to do:
1. Leave a comment that includes your name, email address, and either blog address or Facebook address. (You may need to add me as a friend so I can see your page.)
2. Pay it forward by doing the same for three people through your own blog or facebook page.

Here is what I will do; I will confirm that you, my three commenters have met the requirements, above and then contact you via email to get your snail mail address, color preferences, and other info to help me make you something personal and special.

This is going to be a blast, and the only string attached is that you also pay-it-forward, (do something special for another three people).

*love*
Andrea

The Interview: Paasch E Pottery!

Every once in a while, a seller on ArtFire REALLY strikes my fancy, and I decide I want to do an interview. Here's my interview with PaaschEPottery! Please share the love and visit her links! :)

Tell me a little bit about yourself- your inspiration, your life story, your passions...

My name is Erin Paasch. I'm 24, happily married to a man who swears he's not artistic (though I know better), and obsessed with pottery. Seriously. Obsessed. If I'm not drooling about another artist's work or making my own, you can tend to find me pawing disapprovingly at friends' and relatives' mass-produced work and talking about how their stuff is so much more likely to break because it's cast and the clay molecules aren't as compressed as they should be for functional work.

Also, I might be a horrible friend and/or relative to have.

Why did you select pottery as your artistic medium?

When I went into art school, my portfolio was filled with drawings and paintings. It was what I was certain I was going to do for the rest of my life.

I don't know if you know what it's like to be at a prestigious art school, but it's not easy. They make you try out several new mediums while still doing the medium you wanted the most. We were putting out paintings and small sculptures every 2-3 weeks. I quickly learned that although I enjoyed painting, it wasn't enough of a passion that I wanted to do it day-in and day-out like this. I got burnt out.

At the same time, I was planning and getting ready for my wedding. Because we were on a tight budget, the soon-to-be hubby and I ended up making a lot of our decorations: The flowers, the cake topper, even the wedding invitations. Unlike the painting, doing all of this work and making these small crafts thrilled me.

Here's a picture of him and me. You can see the bouquet in my hand and the boutineer on his suit that we made.
Anyway, when I returned to college the next year, I knew I wanted to work in 3D. I tried out different mediums, and settled from there on wheel throwing. I liked how responsive the clay was, it was almost as fluid as paint, and how challenging it was as a medium.

I love the colors you blend on your wares- how do you come up with the color combinations? Where do you draw inspiration from?

I actually have to credit this to my husband. Glaze is tough to control because when you put it on a form, it's just watered down minerals. It isn't until after it comes out of the kiln that you can actually see what those minerals turn into. Add the fact that several things can affect these glazes, like how you layer them, the type of firing you do, etc., and it becomes extremely challenging. I myself took a semester-long course just to understand how to use and test glazes effectively.

My husband was interested in learning, so I taught him the basics on how to test glazes, tweak recipes, and take good notes. Less than a month later he came up with a gorgeous glaze combination that I couldn't accomplish in 3 years. Maybe it's beginner's luck, maybe my hubby is just that damned good.

I see that you're making buttons! Why did you decide to try that? Are beads in the near future?

Sometimes I get really frustrated with the wheel. No matter how good you are at it, you're still going to have that day, or week, or month, that you're just off. Sometimes it's just a small thing and you can blow it off, but a short while ago I was having an off 2 weeks.

I've found that the best thing to do when I am in a rut like that is just to build by hand. By the end of a few days, I'm rearing to go on the wheel again. And yes, I am working on a few bead designs ;)

Why do you use a wheel? Tell me about the process! :)

I love how instant the wheel is. When you're hand-building, you're building something up little by little, layer by layer. But with the wheel you can make the main part of a form in as little as 20 minutes. Sure, there is more to it than that -- the wheel alterations, adding handles, glazing, and that adds up, but because the main form is pretty much done right away, I can make several of the same piece with just small differences. This allows me to be able to constantly evolve my work and make very good, functional pottery.

What other creative endevors do you enjoy doing? Do you scrapbook? Crochet? Bead?

Every year, my friend over at Naked Light Bulbs and I have a sale together. To help out, I help her crochet her simpler dolls -- like bees or bear heads, for her to put them together.

For the most part though, I keep to the pottery. Every now and again I'll catch a bug and have to draw, paint, or maybe even make jewelry, but in the end, I love clay most of all.

What new skill would you love to learn?

Carpentry would be nice. I need more shelves to hold all of my pots! Seriously though, I've always wanted to make large mosaics and being able to construct furniture to make them on would be an amazing skill to have.

Did you go to school to learn your art, did you take classes or are you self-taught? If someone helped you with your journey, please tell me about them!

Well, I think I mentioned this already, but I went to college. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago -- you know, the big art museum? That's where I spent 4 years.

Although it helped me discover what I wanted to make and where I wanted to go with my art, I was surprised to find that I learned a LOT more about pottery out of college. When you're in a class and not trying to sell your work, you don't think about how to make multiples of work or where to order glazes and materials from. I feel like after college I've pushed my work so much more and learned so much more just having to deal with the real world while making work.

Do you enjoy what you do?

If I didn't, I wouldn't be here.

What is your least favorite part of being an online arts seller on ArtFire?

This isn't just limited to ArtFire, but it's so frustrating to hear people say how much they love your work time and time again, but you don't make a sale for over a month. It starts to make you wonder if you're doing something wrong.

I've joked more than once that when I was in High School and college and making work that wasn't for sale, everyone wanted to buy it. But the moment I actually put a price tag on the stuff, everyone walked away.

What is your favorite part of being an online arts seller on ArtFire?

The community. Hearing from so many other artists, seeing people help each other out and promoting for others. It's amazing.

How do you balance work/making stuff/play/family/pets?

With plenty of naps throughout the day.

What's your favorite snack while you're working and why?

I've found it's best not to snack when your hands are full of clay. It makes everything taste chalky.

Any suggestions for other sellers out there?

Actually, if some sellers had any suggestions for me, I'd appreciate it! I'm so new at the whole online thing, I don't feel qualified!

Seriously though, I'd say to try and keep all of your options open. I'm not just selling work online, I'm also selling wholesale or through commission with local stores, submitting work to galleries, and selling at arts and crafts fairs. It's a lot of work, but I'm having a lot more success selling in several ways than just one.

Please link me up! Blog, twitter, facebook, myspace, etc!

(Shop) http://www.artfire.com/users/PaaschEPottery
(Blog) http://paaschepottery.blogspot.com/
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paasch-E-Pottery/145926675469995?sk=app_106171216118819
(Twitter) http://twitter.com/#!/PaaschEPottery

Special promotions for blog readers? Any specials you'd like to share?

Right now I'm running a sale as part of ArtFire's XMas In July Event. I have 25% off all of my inventory, and at the same time I'm running a contest to encourage people to help me advertise my sale.

Jewelry Show, PaaschEPottery, and MORE!

One of my prints! -->

Well, another weekend has come and gone, and this one a HOLIDAY weekend for us in the USA! It was the 4th of July! Friends, family, could it get any better??? The BEST part was when one of our fireworks exploded ON THE GROUND. The pipe holding it just, well, blew up! I didn't manage to get any pictures of that happening, unfortunately. What a sight! The guys ran from it like their butts were on fire! (Maybe their butts WERE on fire! Who knows?!).

I just listed about 20 new Mother-of-Pearl rings in my ArtFire shop! And remember, I'm running a Christmas in July sale, (15% off everything!), until July 31st!

Up next are Mother-of-Pearl hair bobs with Swarovski crystal centers. If I'm ambitious, I'll do that this morning! *grins*

I really should make more hair flowers, too... and I need to make bracelets for my upcoming JEWELRY SHOW this Saturday, July 9th! (It starts at noon! Be here or be square!). As per usual, I will be discounting everything at my show. Plus, free gift with every purchase!!!

How's that for incentive??? Wootz!

Another ArtFire seller by the name of Paasch E Pottery is also running a FABULOUS sale. 25% off all items in her shop. And MAN, does she make some STUNNING pottery-ware. Here's a link to her blog if you, too, want to enter this contest of blogging, promoting, and sharing her fabu sale! Personally, I could resist the chance of winning one of her great mugs! (I NEED A NEW COFFEE MUG, darnit!)

Don't forget to follow me on twitter, facebook or visit my artfire shop!

Upcoming Jewelry Show!

Moe in the bathroom sink --->

Yes, Moe is one of our cats! We found her sleeping in the bathroom sink a few days ago, and this was the result of my picture taking. *grins*

Isn't she just adorable???

UPCOMING JEWELRY SHOW!
This show is going to be a little different from the others, as I'm actually going to provide refreshments. Wootz! Soda, cheese and crackers, and maybe finger sandwiches, (sammiches). Should be delightful!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th, starting at NOON. There is no set end-time, but before midnight would be preferable. *winks*

It is taking place at my home at 205 Avon Street, La Crosse, WI 54603. Bring your friends!

We are DOWNSTAIRS, on the left side of the building. It's a white house with a huge picture window. *grins*

Refreshments + jewelry = great times!

As per usual, I will be around to answer any questions you might have, and to take custom orders!

If you can't make it, don't fret- I've got over 350 items in my artfire shop!

You can also find my jewelry at The New U in Onalaska, WI.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZenithJade
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations

Busy!!!

So we've, (Eric and I), been very busy settling in to our new place! It's so exciting to move into a new apartment. I feel like I've been in West Salem forever. It feels surreal, or like a dream. I just hope I never awaken! ;)

<--- A daffodil I photographed this Spring, (March 2011).

So, with settling in comes the merging of two relatively complete households. That's always an adventure! Plus, the merging of CATS! *falls over* So far, so good, (MOSTLY!).

There have been some small kitty frays, but nothing too horribly serious. Although I AM looking for a new home for LuLu. She would be so much happier as an "ONLY" kitty. :(

Crabbi being cute! --->

At any rate, I have four new "collection" pieces up... only named "the red, pink and green collection". Three of the available necklaces are really SETS- earrings & a necklace. One is a lonely choker, no earrings. ;) The mysterious fifth piece of this set has already sold! And man, was it a beauty! (Not to say that the rest of them aren't, but it *was* my personal favorite!). You can view the collection by visiting my artfire shop by clicking here, or copying and pasting this link into your browser's url bar: http://ZenithJade.artfire.com/ .

I think you'll really enjoy seeing this new collection from yours truly!

I've also been invited to attend the Boston Fashion Show/Week in Boston... for a fee. Darn those fees! *shakes fist* And it costs a pretty penny, too. Oh well, maybe next year!

Don't forget I'm on twitter at http://twitter.com/ZenithJade and facebook at http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations . :D

Well, well!

This time it isn't titled, "and more". *laughs*

I'm getting ready to move, and my beadboard looks so lonely without all of the beads on it. :( The good news is that I'm moving the 28th of May, into a beautiful and lovely 3-bedroom house!!! Plus, I'm moving in with my boyfriend, (WOOTZ!), which should surely be an adventure! :)

As I prepare and pack everything away, you should be aware that I'm having a MOVING SALE in my artfire shop. At LEAST 50% off everything, (more in the "SALE" section). Follow me on twitter, and get an additional 25% off. (The coupon code is there!!!).

As per usual, moving is EXPENSIVE, so if you've got a few bucks to spare to buy some goodies from yours truly, that would ROCK MY SOCKS. *love*

We're also having a MOVING PARTY on the 28th, and you're more than welcome to join in on the fun. Click here to view the facebook event. OPEN TO TRADING FOR HOUSEHOLD GOODIES TOO! (Like soap!!! We can always use SOAP! And candles!)

In other news, I'm having to give up four of my babies (cats). Between the boyfriend and I, we have a total of eleven. And that's just too many, even for a house. *sad monkey* LuLu and Gabriel got rehomed already. Neko and Einstein will be rehomed this upcoming week. Tough, but it's gotta be done, I suppose. :( Luckily, I'm screening people rather vigorously, so I KNOW that they're going to good homes, thank goodness. I'm just as bad, if not worse, than the Humane Society in rehoming animals. Well, they're my BABIES, you know?!

Yes, I'm hanging on to Crabbi, (the one that almost died from liver failure and miraculously recovered), Piggy and Hunni. They're seniors now, and have been with me the longest. And I'm keeping a total of two of my Manx babies- AlleyC and Meoweh. Choosing which ones to keep was nearly impossible.

I could ramble on about my cats for way too long! I'm sure you pet lovers out there understand what I'm going through.

So moving, giving up four babies, SALE SALE SALE, ebay sales, and boyfriend= a very busy me! Not to mention all of our combined doctors' appointments. *falls over* Another busy week!

I'll try to not keep you all in the dark for this long again. ;) And I'll do my best to keep you all posted (with PICTURES!) of our new place and move. *love*

*hugs*
Andrea

ArtFire // Twitter

For LadyHawk (Jean), Christmas and Crabbi

One of my fellow ArtFire sellers has stage 4 lung cancer. Needless to say, the prognosis is bleak. :( The only good news is that this tragedy is bringing together ArtFire sellers in support of LadyHawk, (Jean). We are banding together to raise funds for Jean through paypal donations and percentages of sales. Personally, I'm offering 10% of all profits to help with Jean's medical bills and care. You can view participating shops by clicking here, or by doing a search on ArtFire with the keyword: jeanlove. Please note that an account is NOT REQUIRED to buy from sellers on ArtFire.




Here are some collections that have been made using items from participating member's shops:


Collection 1
Collection 2
Collection 3
Collection 4
Collection 5
Collection 6

I've been busy during the holiday season. Christmas was a wonderful time for me. I got to spend it with my family. *love* They all came over here, we ate too much food, and watched the kids open presents in a mad frenzy. Santa spoiled me this year, and brought me the comfiest fuzzy slippers known to man. I also made out like a bandit with three febreeze candles, a couple pair of socks, a promise from Mom that she'd take me out for lunch, and a family portrait. *more love* The presents are wonderful, of course!, but the time spent with family was even better. I wouldn't trade that for the world. I'm truly blessed!

The week before Christmas, I got awful news. I took Crabbi, (one of my many cats), into the vet because she hadn't eaten or drank in 24 hours. She was diagnosed with liver failure, a liver infection, low white & red blood cell counts and anemia. :( Because of the prayers, thoughts and good juju of friends, family and complete strangers, it appears that Crabbi has made an astonishing recovery! She is no longer jaundiced, (caused by the liver failure- it is a discoloration of the skin to a yellow color), she has been happily eating tuna and a little bit of hard food, drinking, and using the litter box. It is nothing short of a miracle. My best guess is that against all odds, her liver function is returning. !!! (The liver failure was caused by a thyroid medication she was taking. She is no longer on that medication!). Now I just have to hope and pray that the medication didn't affect the way her bone marrow produces white and red blood cells. Please pray for us. I truly appreciate it!

twitter//facebook//ArtFire

GIVEAWAY, Jewelry Updates, Mailing List and More!

It's kind of funny how I always end my blog post titles with "and More!". LOL! But there's always so much to talk about!

Look to your right for my new mailing list sign-up. I plan on offering special deals and steals and new news in my newsletter. I'm hoping to only send one once per week, so I don't spam anyone. :) --------------------->

I've decided to have a Jewelry Show Saturday, January 15th, noon to six pm, and Sunday, January 16th, two to four pm. You can see the flyer by clicking here. LOTS OF NEW JEWELRY to choose from. I've been making jewelry like a mad woman, so please come and check it out! You can RSVP by clicking here, (it's a facebook event!). I do hope to see tons of you here! I'm also hoping to offer some sort of refreshments, but we'll see. (Maybe apple cider and cheese and crackers? Any ideas would be appreciated!).

THE GREAT BLOG CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!
Win a $25 Gift Certificate to my shop!

*Comment below with your email, get an entry.
*Tweet this blog post, get an entry. (Link to your tweet!)
*Blog about this giveaway, get an entry. (Link to your blog post!)
*Mention on facebook, get an entry. (Link to it, please!)
*Follow my blog, get an entry. (I WILL CHECK THESE!)
*BUY SOMETHING FROM MY SHOP, get TWO entries! (Cool, huh?)

Seven CHANCES PER PERSON TO WIN. I'm going to be throwing names into a hat, and drawing out a name to win the gift certificate on DECEMBER 25th, at 9pm CST.

Yes, a hat. ;) I will take a picture of said hat for everyone to view!

It's the best Christmas present I could think to give. SO! Enjoy the giveaway, and post post post!
Because it's an emailed gift certificate, this giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. *love*

Follow me on:

twitter // facebook // artfire // RSVP to jewelry show

NECKLACE, Inspired by: The Captive Robin, John Anster Fitzgerald, c.1864

So I made the jewelry for the Art Bead Monthly Challenge using one of my own polymer clay and gemstone beads! This painting was one of two that we could choose for our inspiration. As you'll see below, I chose a red, orange and yellow color palette using Red Jasper, orange Serpentine, yellow Swarovski (citrine), and lustrous red freshwater pearls. Copper findings. The focal bead is handmade by myself from polymer clay using my fingers and a ton of patience. Each petal and leaf is formed by hand, and gently placed. Vines are hand-rolled. The carnelian cabochon is held in place by vines and leaves. Then the entire bead was coated with polymer clay sealant. =^.^= I was seriously tempted to add blue to this design, but to be honest... while I was stringing I forgot all about the blues. *laughs* Regardless, I think this necklace turned out great!

If you're interested in custom flower beads with or without cabochons, you can contact me at zenithjade@yahoo.com or zenithjade@gmail.com . While you're at it, visit my ArtFire shop. LOTS of handmade goodies, with the current emphasis on earrings of all descriptions. Plus, everything is on SALE this weekend! Time to stock up for the holidays! ;)

Follow me on Twitter

"Like" me on Facebook

ZenithJade Creations Autumn Trunk Show 2009!

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ZenithJade Creations Autumn Trunk Show 2009!
Friday, October 9th from 3-7pm
Saturday, October 10th from 12-5pm
544 West Garland Street, West Salem, WI 54669
Bring a friend and get 50% off one item!

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ZenithJade Creations' SPRING TRUNK SHOW

Saturday, May 30th

Noon-6 p.m.
(click image to view larger on flickr)

FREE: wine, soda, juice & lemonade
FREE: finger sandwiches, dip & crackers

YAY!

My banner & avatar tutorial is mentioned on a website!!! WHEEEE!

Blogger Tutorial #1 - Adding Links to Text

Note: You can click any image for a larger, more readable, version. :)

So adding links to text is pretty easy- and I'm going to walk you through it step by step. ;)

1) When you have an Etsy shop that you'd like to link to like mine, ZenithJade Creations, highlight the text that you'd like clickable.






2) After highlighting, click blogger's handy link icon from the above editing bar.








3) By clicking, it will bring up a pop-up window. Enter the url, or address, of the site you want your link to go to. Then press "OK" in the pop-up window.

Voila! You've made a working link! :)

New Upcycled Project, new listings on Etsy plus+++ facebook & links

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New upcycled project!
Recycled, (or upcycled!), vintage stamps on mother-of-pearl open coins. Stamps are sealed using liquid laminate for a beautiful shine!

These will be available in my Etsy shop soon!

---------------------->

Gorgeous necklaces & earrings NOW AVAILABLE in my Etsy shop. PLUS I'm destashing some gorgeous supplies, like these lovely smokey quartz oval briolettes. <3

<----------------------

I've also joined the Facebook hordes. :) If you'd like to be a fan of my shop & stay current on special projects like custom orders & my amazing seasonal collections, join me over there!

http://artist.to/zenithjade/

Firefox + EtsyHacks = Etsy Lurve

I really hope that I can truly delve into the wonders of EtsyHacks and how to use it one of these days.

For those of you who are already familiar with Firefox and GreaseMonkey, AND have an Etsy Shop... then EtsyHacks are really, truly, just what the doctor ordered. ehax.etsy.com has created some lovely hacks to make your selling++ experiences easier and more fun. He's got: copy listing hacks, forum hacks, receipt hacks, convo hacks... I think you get the idea.

I promise- one of these days, I'll post a tutorial for newbies on how to get started. ;)
(If you know of a newbie faq already in existence, please let me know! I'll post it!).

<3,
Andrea

ZenithJade Creation's First Easter Egg Hunt!

Why should the kids get all the fun hunting for Easter Eggs? ;)

Announcing ZJC's first Easter Egg Hunt!
Interspersed throughout my Etsy shop are Easter Eggs-->

Find one image, get 10% off,
find two, get 20% off,
find three, get 30% off,
find four, get 40% off,
find five (!!!), get 50% off...

your TOTAL ORDER.
(not including shipping)

How to play:
* Find as many Easter Egg images as you can/want to.
* Buy as much as you'd like... and in the "Notes to Seller," list the links of the items where you found the eggs. Don't pay yet!
* I'll send you a revised invoice to your email with your new total, and then you can pay, (a lot less than what was listed!). :)

This % off is in ADDITION to the many items that are already 25% off!

Happy Holidays, Happy Easter...
And...
Have fun searching for Easter Eggs!

<3,
Andrea

PS- many thanks to WonderCliparts.com for providing such a cute image!
PPS- the Easter Egg Hunt only lasts until Easter day!

Wisconsin Underwater

There have been some incredible, (and severe), thunderstorms rolling throughout Wisconsin over the last couple of weeks. As a result, there's flooding all over the state. =O.o= La Crosse County, (the county in which I reside), is currently in a state of emergency. Plus, this past Saturday brought some twisters, (tornadoes), darn close to home- Barre Mills probably being the closest. (You can view DOT info by clicking here).

You can view some more pictures on flickr doing a "WI Flood" or "Wisconsin Flood" search. You can also look for more news by doing a google search for "Wisconsin Flooding."

I feel like one of the "lucky ones" right now- the power flickered, minor basement flooding, and the phone & 'net were gone for a while, but that's it.

Send up some good juju vibes for affected Wisconsinites- I'm sure that we'll all appreciate it!