Paradise at the Feet of Mothers

A well-known hadith states, "Paradise lies at the feet of the mother." Mothers are treasured, not just in Islam, but in every religion, culture, way of life. They give us life, they guide us, nurture us, are there for us. And they come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the one that you think of as your mother isn't your biological mother. She may be an aunt, a grandmother, a mentor. Whoever she is, she is always there. The painting above is by K. M. Berggren and is titled, "Clarity."

What do you think that this hadith means? To my thinking, it doesn't mean that paradise is automatically found with every mother. You must be a mother in every sense of the word, you must guide your children to be the best that they can be, you must create a haven that is safe, secure, and nurturing for your children. Your childhood has such a big impact on the rest of your life. If you had a happy childhood, that is the best gift that you could have received. And I am sure that as you look back, you really did feel as if your life was a paradise back then.

But mothers are human too. We make mistakes and lose our tempers and all sorts of stuff :) But I think that as long as you try your best, you CAN make your life a paradise for you and your family.

I know Mother's Day is still a looong time from now....but do we really need to wait for a day to celebrate motherhood? I say NO! (emphatically shaking my fist in the air!) Call you mom and just chat for a bit. If you're a mom, just leave everything, all the ENDLESS chores and cuddle with your little ones...or call them if they are older. Just celebrate this beautiful bond and savor it.

I have always wanted one of those mother's necklaces, the ones where you have your childrens' names stamped on metal tags. So I thought, well I am a jewelry designer, so why not make one myself. So I did. Here it is....

Want one for yourself? Order one from my shop and I will have it customized for you, up to 5 kids :) I adore mine! These would make great gifts for any mother or grandmother that you know!

Need more ideas for your mom or as a treat for yourself? Then check out these lovely finds, any one of which would be perfect as a gift!

Here is a gorgeous photograph taken by Amelia Kay Photography. It is called "Love Whisper," and I think that it would make a wonderful gift.

Lovely, handmade journals by Robyn's Art would make a very special gift, especially if your mother loves to journal. Robyn can also make art journals that would be perfect for painting, sketching, etc.

This is one of my favorites, the Empress Silk Journal. I actually have this one and I love it!

The Baby Blue Starburst Hemp Choker necklace by The Happy Soul would be great for any mom to wear during the summer!

And of course, what woman wouldn't love gloriously scented luxurious bath products? Here is one of my favorites, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Loofah Bar by Sunset Soaps. A brilliant gift!

I have so many favorite Etsians and all of their crafts would make the perfect gift for any mom. Even if it isn't Mother's Day, does it really matter? I don't think so, especially since a gift given out of the blue seems so much more special than when it is given on a pre-determined day. As humans, we are all so expressive all about, "let it all out!" So go ahead, let it all out and show your love for that special woman in your life, whether she be your mother, your grandmother, your aunt, a teacher, a neighbor....whoever she is. You'll make her day...and yours :)

Movers and Shakers

Hey y'all, it's been a while I know! But, in my defense, I have good excuses. We finally sold our house and made it through the closing. We have moved into an apartment until our new house is ready...whenever that may be. Moving was chaotic, to say the least, and I never, ever want to move like that again! Because our byuers were very fickle and iffy all the way to the end, we never knew if the closing would get through, so I was totally disorganized in packing.

Are you moving? I found this blog, Steps to Organization, which has some helpful moving checklists. The blog's author, Wendy Cross, is a professional organizer, and aside from moving, she has some pretty cool organizing tips! Check out her moving checklist 1 and moving checklist 2 if you are preparing to take this journey. I must warn you though, realistically, you WON'T get totally organized, but at least you can smooth out a lot of the wrinkles!

So now we are back to apartment living, and I must confess, it's not that bad. Of course, it's smaller, and we have a LOT of stuff in storage, but I like it! I like having the option to just call maintenance to come fix something rather than figure out how to fix it myself so that we don't have to pay someone $200 for some little thing. Of course, when we move into our new house, I am going to brush up on some home maintenance skills.

A lot has happened in the past few months! Both Fazal and Zahra had their birthdays, so I am now a proud Mama of a 4 year old and a 2 year old. Stay tuned for a lot of updates in the next few weeks and some oh-so-adorable pics :) Here is one that I love!

My Etsy shop, Treasure Box Jewelry, is still up but with all the wackiness going on, I have taken a little break from things. I have a lot of items that need listing, so I will be doing that also in the coming days. Of course, being on a temporary hiatus still doesn't stop me from buying endless amounts of glorious beads and findings! Since we are in the midst of fall, I love the the La Terre Necklace from my shop reflects the burst of color that comes with the season!

La Terre Necklace by Treasure Box Jewelry

And now a parting treat for you! One of my best cyber-friends, Lisa of Jeweled Ambrosia, has branched out into fabulous hair accessories! They are all so amazing, but this one is my favorite!

Vintage Rhinestone, Rosette and Sequin Headband by Jeweled Ambrosia

So adieu for now and have a blessed day!

Life's a Beach!

I love the summertime in Jersey. This year, it seems like it took its pretty time getting here, but at last it has arrived! I love being able to step out of the house without lugging coats and jackets and mittens...all the trappings of winter that seem welcome and charming the first week of cold, but then get tiresome. Just a t-shirt, capris, flip flops and of course, my favorite summer accessories, anklets and sunglasses and you're out the door!

Sandcastle Anklet by Treasure Box Jewelry

We've already been down to the beach this season, numerous times. We went for the Fourth and watched the fireworks at Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ. Then we went kayaking with some friends a couple of weekends ago (though technically not at a beach, it was a lake reservoir, but still there was water and sand!) Then this past weekend, when Nasir came home from work, we packed up some food, towels, blankets and chairs for a spur-of-the-moment outing. This is the advantage of living so close to the ocean. You can totally be spontaneaous!

When we got out there and set up, I took Zahra out of her stroller. This was the first time that she actually ventured out onto the sand, barefoot and excited to be exploring this new environment. I took her down to the water and saw that there was no fear in her, only awe and curiousity as the waves crashed on the shore. She made a decision to go farther and tried to get me to let her go. Not a chance!! But I did let her get her feet wet and she absolutely loved it! I remember the first time that we took Fazal down to the water...he wasn't having any of it. He was scared and clingy and was satisfied with admiring the view from far away...very, very far away. But this little firecracker of mine wanted to dive right into this unknown that she was facing. For a few minutes, I let myself think of everything from her perspective, the newness of the experience, the intital awe that we get from encountering something so breathtaking that there is no room for fear. It seems like that feeling is getting so hard to come by as the years go by, and even if it does come, we tend to skip over it.


And now some lovely finds from some wonderful and talented Etsians. I hope they fill with you with awe and inspiration!

Gold Starfish Necklace by Cindy V. Designs

Lola's Greens Brown Wrap Skirt by Vidals

Shell and Pearl Rose Ring: The Sea Treasure Collection by Star of the East

Urchin Bowl by Element Clay Studio

Beach Umbrella: 8 x 8 Fine Art Photograph by Daydreamers

Sweeping Down the Plains

I am back from my 2 week trip to my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. No matter how long I go for, it always goes by way too fast. I found this gorgeous painting of Tulsa titled, "Downtown Dawning." It is by Celeste Vaught, an amazingly talented artist and a fellow Tulsan! I found the painting on her Flickr page and when I emailed her to get permission to use her painting in my blog, she couldn't have been sweeter! She has a whole Downtown Dawning series, featuring other cities as well. Her work has been featured in numerous galleries and has graced many magazine covers. She is inspired by the Impressionist artists such as Monet and Cezanne. I think that is one of the reasons that her work really resonated with me. I have always loved the Impressionistic style of painting. Her work is now being featured in the new Water Street Gallery in downtown Sapulpa, Oklahoma. To learn more about this wonderful artisit, read her blog and visit her website. I hope to meet this extraordinary person on my next trip to Tulsa.

Going home always brings back old memories! I especially love going through my old books and reading them again. On this trip, I picked up the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This series always make me feel so warm and comfortable. It is so perfect for today's hectic, chaotic lifestyles that we all tend to lead. The simple morals and day-to-day lessons are so valuable, I think, especially for today's tweens who whine when they don't have the latest cell phone! (I know, of course, that not all of them are like that, but I have seen a few, and that's STILL too many!) It is so refreshing to read how Laura and her sisters relish the littlest moments in their loves, like how they are so excited about getting real glass windows in their house! They are postively skipping with delight...and me along with them! I can't wait until Fazal and Zahra are old enough to share these books with me.

This post would not be complete without some Oklahoma-themed finds from my beloved Etsy. Here is this awesome journal made from an upcycled vinyl record album cover of Rodgers and Hammersteins musical Oklahoma!

And I found this print of a Oklahoma state sign. It is a "through the viewfinder" photograph, which means that you take a photograph of an object through the viewfinder of one camera with another camera. The effect, as you can see is very shabby vintage feel and I love it!

How cool is this photo album made from an Oklahoma license plate? I thought that this was so creative and wonderful!

After I came home, Nasir was off for the week, so we spent the weekend down in the delightful town of Cape May! Stay tuned for the details of that trip, especially all the fun things that I bought :)

Diving into ACEOs

I have always loved drawing. Crayons, colored pencils, finger paints, oils, pastels, acrylics..you name it, I've dabbled in it. My favorites are colored pencils and acrylics. Colored pencils because they are so versatile and vibrant. Acrylics, for the same reasons, but also beacause they are paints and using them makes me feel like a real artist :) Also, they dry pretty fast making them a good choice for hectic lifestyles and impatient personalities!

So I have opened another Etsy shop, called Chameli Creations! Chameli is the Hindi word for that lovely flower, jasmine. The word "jasmine" is derived from the Persian word (also used as a a name), "yasmin," which means "gift from God." I am not a classically trained artist. That is to say, I have never had any formal training, other than those elemantary art classes, but I don't let that hinder me from trying. Flower, trees, nature in general is a great inspiration for me. I am not good at drawing life-life portraits and such. But I do like abstracts and strong, vivid colors. I use the world around me, our gift from God, to inspire me.

The ACEO pictured above is one of mine, entitled "Mountain Home." I have 3 more in my shop and I plan on drawing more. It's very exciting getting into a new art and learning all about it.

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They have only one rule, and that it that it must measure 2.5 by 3.5, the size of a baseball cards. If it is any other size, it can not be called an ACEO. The size makes it easy and affordable for are collectors to collect a variety of art from all over the world and place them in card albums or shadow boxes, give as gifts....the possibilities are endless! I LOVE the idea of collecting mini masterpieces and I am looking foward to starting my own collection.

Here are some of my favorites that I found on Etsy.....

Open Heart ACEO by ArtGarden

Happy Together ACEO by PaintingPrints

The Clamshell Mermaid by SusanRodio

Hope you enjoy these and are inspired to start your own art collection!

Roller Coaster to the Dragon's Den!

So starting your own business is like a roller coaster. Here's the first dip. See that big jumble of jewelry? Those are a few of the pieces that I made for the Medford Craft Show that was held this past weekend. Of course, with the husband at work, it would have been hard for me to get out there with the two little ones in tow, so Sheri was nice enough to sell for me! I heard from her last night and she told me that I made a whopping $27. Oh well. She said that the economy had a lot to do with it, since there was a huge crowd, but not a lot of buying. Here is everything all packaged up and tagged, ready for selling.

It doesn't look like a lot, and I guess as craft shows go, it wasn't. But Sheri told me to make as much as I could and just send it on over! So I made about 30 earrings, 20 necklaces and some bracelets. She has mailed everything back to me so I should be getting that soon. Then I will list everything in my shop!

Now here is where the ride gets better. I am finished with the custom order that I got from my sister's co-worker/friend, Dalana. She ordered one necklace at first and then she ended up with wanting three. Here they are:

Egyptian Goddess Hathor Necklace

Lotus Flower Prayer Box Necklace

Zodiac Libra Necklace

Now another dip. My consignment deal fell through. I was walking through the mall and I was peeking into the nail salon. I couldn't see my jewelry display anywhere! So I went in and the owner was all flustered and embarressed at seeing me there. She told me that she wasn't comfortable displaying it since there were children that would grab at it and she was afraid that they might steal it. Well, the counter was about 4 feet above these thieving children, and besides how many children came in to get their nails done? Of course, she just didn't want to display them so I took them back after telling her that she should have at least called me. She was all like, "Oh, I was going to call you on Monday." Sure you were. But that's all right. There were a couple of other places that seemed interested so I will try again!

I love featuring and promoting artists of all kinds. If you like candles and awesome body products, then you will love the Dragon's Den! Sarah is part of the fabulous EtsyNJ Street Team and her shop is so luxurious. See the pics of her Cinnamon Sandalwood Tea Light Candles and Oatmeal Honey Soap.

She is having a great giveway at her blog! Just go and vote for your favorite candle scents and leave her a comment. She will then pick 2 winners to receive a FREE set of 6 tea lights! There is NO catch, since she will even pay shipping! The poll closes March 23rd, so go vote and and enter yourself for a chance to win!

And with that, the ride has ended and I wish you all a scent-sational day ;)

Treasured Highlights!

I have been featured in my first (and hopefully, not last!) Etsy treasury! My Emerald Forest Dangle Earrings were featured in this lovely Go Green Treasury, beautifully curated by Robin of CreationsbyRobin. Robin is a fellow EtsyNJ Team member AND a talented jewelry artist. She has so mnay beautiful pieces, but this one is one my favorites, the Go Green Sea Glass Heart Necklace

I was also featured on a blog for the first time! Read it HERE! CreativeCrafts2009 are two sisters from Colorado who knit, crochet, and make lovely handmade cards. Here is one of their handmade items, the Love Never Fails card!

For me, these are the highlights that made my day! Thanks to all!

Featured Etsy Artist: Courtney Cates

Pink and Green Surround-A-Loopy Bow

For my first featured artist, I chose a newbie like myself. Courtney Cates is from Fort Deposit, Alabama where she is a full time student as well as a crafter. She has just opened her Etsy shop, BowsEtc09, a couple of weeks ago. I met her on Etsy on the forums and I wanted to help her promote her shop and get her some sales! She makes beautiful hair bows, bow boards, pillowcase dresses and burp cloths. Read on to see how she got started in crafting....

"I got started in crafting when my niece was born. I never could find hairbows that I wanted for her in the stores... they were all too expensive and all the same colors. I had a little experience in crafting already from when I was little. My mom made some hair bows and sewed a little and my dad did a lot of woodwork. I started making hair bows to match my niece's outfits. When I saw that she had too many hair bows, I started making the bow boards."

LadyBug Hair Bow Board

"Then, this past year I decided I wanted to start trying to sew because I knew I had the talent to do it if I could just get the time. So, I started making the pillowcase dresses. Then, a friend of mine had a baby and I did not know what to get her for a baby shower gift... and that's when I started making the burp cloths. "

Lime Green and Pink Pillowcase Dress

So, I was up to hair bows, hair bow/picture boards, pillowcase dresses, and burp cloths. I also make door bows (for Christmas, etc) and Christmas tree topper bows... and I made my first "real" dress a few weeks ago... by a pattern!! I also make baby blankets and what I call 'tie fleece blankets' and I'm working on trying to make a quilt... we'll see how that one goes! "

Pink and Green Polka Dot Trim Burp Cloth

All of Courtney's items are made of quality materials and are made to withstand the wear and tear that comes with children. If you need something unique and handmade for a baby shower or for your own baby, head on over to Courtney's shop on Etsy!

IndieSpotted, Crafty Neighbors, and CPSIA

I have been spotted! IndieSpotted that is. IndieSpotting is a website featuring, what else? Indie finds of all kinds. My Dragonfly Charms Optical Lens Necklace was on the first page, the second item! I am really honored that someone liked my necklace so much that they would submit it. Of course, there are so many other beautiful items on the site. I love persuing through sites like these; you can tell how much love and hard work went into all these creations.

Also, I have joined the EtsyNJ Street Team. They also have a really cool blog, as well as a Yahoo Group. I am really looking forward to meeting these crafty neighbors of mine! I am going to try and get involved in some of the craft fairs. It might be hard with these two little ones, but I am definately going to be as involved as I can.

More great news for the handmade community. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has granted a one year stay to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Read about it here! Though I might not have been affected, this would have shut down countless small businesses. Many people rely on the income generated from their handmade products, and this would have killed any chance they had of a decent living. I am SO glad that they have seen some of the light. Hopefully, this stupidity will just fizzle and die!

Stay tuned in the next couple of days for my first artist feature! I have been busy just playing around with my blog and making it nice and pretty. I think I finally have it now!

A New Name, A New Blog

In keeping with my new jewelry business, Treasure Box Jewelry, I have chosen to change the name of my blog. The nature of my blogs are going to stay the same. But I wanted to a name that would reflect my new interest in handmade items as well as stay true to my personal beliefs of hope and happiness in this world. The Treasured Life is what I have come up with. I really believe that life is a treasure and should be treated as such.

Also, I am going to start doing features on talented artists that I have found on Etsy. I have a few people lined up and I am looking forward to talking to them and seeing how they have gotten into their craft. There are people out there who are working so hard, but they get lost in the hustle and bustle of the world's chaos. If I can let even a handful of people know about their efforts, I will be happy that I have done a little something for them.

Life is full of possibilites and I love it!