Taking Care of Business

I'll take this opportunity to make a couple of bloggy announcements.

Search Button
I've added a Search Button to make things a little easier in trying to find older posts. So, now, when you're trying to find that fabulous chicken fingers recipe or instructions to that awesome melted crayon art project, you can simply type in some key words in the search box (you can leave out the superlatives), hit search, and you'll find what you're looking for. Simple, right? The search box is found in the left-hand column of the post entitled Search This Blog. I hope this makes things easier to find and re-find!

LOVD Sponsors
Obviously, I don't blog for the money. I can't dedicate the time necessary to make this into a living; I have a child and a husband running his own business, remember? But, you'll see I'll do sponsored posts every now and again. Those I pick and choose and only select if I absolutely believe in the subject (like the Teach Kids about Money post), think a post would be fun to write about the subject (like the Walgreens Summer Beauty Routine post), or think you should really know about the subject (like The Bully Project post). The point is, I'm selective and I've only chosen a smidgen of paid-post opportunities that have come my way (there was an offer from a lady's pleasure product that I ABSOLUTELY did not consider - if you're looking for that, you're at the wrong blog).

So, when Coupons By Answers approached me as a sponsor I really had to think about it because I didn't want to be that kind of blog. You know what I'm talking about. I weighed the offer heavily in my mind. Before providing an answer, I used the site myself. Every time I'd be going to the store, I'd type in the store name just to make sure there wasn't an unknown coupon out there, lingering around so I could save some cash. Their site is easy to use and very convenient. I spoke to several friends about having the link from Coupons By Answers on my site and they encouraged me to do it because they wanted the savings and easy access to the coupons. So, I decided to give sponsorship a try. Coupons By Answers is located in the left-hand column and I hope you give them a try, too! I think any loss of respect will be turned around with the savings you'll see. Let me know how you do!

Etsy Shop Opening
Really? Let's not go there today.

You Know You're a Blogger When...and {A Giveaway!}

Source

You know you’re a blogger when…

10. You’ve attended more Linky parties in one week than you have cocktail parties all year.

9.  You watch the weather forecast for sunshine and schedule those days to take photos of your latest craft or recipe to get the best natural light.

8. “Just give me 5 minutes, son” turns into 45 minutes because you’re visiting other blogs and commenting.

7. You look for scrap pieces of paper to jot down a random thought you just had in line at the grocery store because you don’t want to forget it for a future blog post.

6. You save tons of cool recipes but never get around to making any of them.

5. You don’t look at everyday items the same way anymore because you think, “How could I use that in a craft project?”

4. Your family thinks every time you whip out the camera it’s only to take pictures for the blog.

3. A lot of your pictures in your photo library are close-ups of inanimate objects.

2. You’ve been late picking up your child from school because you couldn’t tear yourself away from Pinterest.

1. You know in your heart bloggy friends are real friends.

The Giveaway

This giveaway is going to be a bonus for me as much as for you, so thank you in advance. Here's the prize: $20 gift card to my LOVD Etsy Shop. It's not even open, yet? Yes, I know! But having a $20 gift card floating around out there in some one's hot little hands will force me to list my wares!!!! Above is a small sampling of what I'll be listing. Tons more from where this came from, trust me!

How to Enter

Be sure to leave a comment for each activity you do:

1. Leave a comment telling us if you've ever shopped on Etsy.

2. Become a LOVD Follower via GFC, Linky Follower, or "Like" LOVD on Facebook - be sure to leave a comment saying you did so or if you are already!

Comment entries deadline: Monday, July 2 at midnight! Check back on Tuesday for the winner announcement!

Winner will be chosen using random.org. Good luck!  

What I Made Wednesday {Family Tree - LOVD Style}

When opportunities to be creative fall right onto your lap or into your e-mail's Inbox you can't help but feel so grateful and giddy at the prospects. This was the case for today's W.I.M. Wednesday.

If you've been a regular reader, then you're aware of the LOVD jewelry I'm honored to make for people wanting to celebrate their families, special events, and personal moments. I hand-stamp metal for necklaces and bracelets I weave out of jump rings. I've been so busy with special orders I have not had the time to open up the Etsy shop, but it's coming.

So, when I received this e-mail from my neighbor wanting to do something special for her mother-in-law...

"...she is NOT a jewelry wearer, and she rarely gets anything special! We want to treat her "just because!" I LOVE the look of your stuff you make, those hand stamped little gems of cuteness!

Would you have the time to stamp out ... all her grandkids? I sort of envision "hanging" them somehow on a picture/graphic tree of some sort to show each family, then put it in a shadow box for her with some sort of saying.
Would you at ALL be interested in doing something like this?"

...the gears in my mind started spinning out of control and yielded these results:

I found beautiful, sterling silver doves that I wanted to stamp to represent the grandparents and I placed them nearest the nest. I love the way my antiquing of the silver turned out because, in the light, you could see a rainbow of various colors representing each offspring's family. I thought that was a nice accident.


Each of the grandparents' sons had their own families (one, of course, being my neighbor), each represented by a different metal: brass, copper, and nickel. I normally do not use nickel in my jewelry, but since this wasn't going to be worn, I went with nickel to save lots of nickels (sterling silver cost is at an all-time high - YIKES!).

Great things happen when minds and efforts come together, even when it's outside of the box. I'm so pleased with the way this project turned out and I hope the recipient of this heartfelt gift resonates to her core and tells her how loved and appreciated she is by my neighbors, her son and daughter-in-law.

Thank you, neighbor, for the opportunity to be so creative and put my bird metal stamps to good use!

What I Made Wednesday {LOVD's Team Spirit Line} A Sneak Peek

For this week's What I Made Wednesday, I wanted to share with you a line of jewelry that will soon be hitting LOVD's Etsy Shop (yes, it's still coming, soon): the Team Spirit line. I handcrafted these items to donate to a local school for their silent auction fundraiser. If you're interested in having me create a one-of-a-kind piece representing your school and your child's activities, just e-mail me! I also offer the items as a school-wide promotion, donating 10% of the total sales back to the school.

Sideline Spirit Bracelet

The Sideline Spirit Bracelet is a unique way to support your student and their activities throughout their school career while cheering them on from afar. I interweave each starter bracelet using non-tarnishing, enamel-baked, USA-made, copper jump rings. I also hand stamp a sterling silver washer pendant with the school's team name. The bracelet is accompanied by a non-tarnishing, swivel, lobster-clasp and the bracelet measures 8 inches in length, which includes a 1.5-inch extension for adjustment.

Additional sterling silver blanks can be custom stamped with any activity imaginable and may be added as charms to the bracelet. Upon graduation, your bracelet becomes a lovely heirloom piece representing your child's stellar school career. Various font choices are available for the pendant.

School Spirit Glass Pendant Necklace

Showing your school spirit has never been more stylish than with this exclusively designed, handmade glass pendant necklace. The background repeats the school's team name and overlays the school's initial in the foreground. Your pendant is customized to match your school's color scheme. The pendant is 7/8-inch-square glass and hangs from a coordinating bail, attached to a fun, stretchy bungee cord necklace.

Locker Lingo Magnet

Whether hanging inside a locker or on a refrigerator door at home, this handcrafted magnet is exclusively designed to represent your school's motto, mantra, mascot, or battle cry, even graduating year! Whichever you choose, your custom design is set behind thick glass measuring 2-inches square and uses a PowerMagnet to ensure optimum strength.

Thank you for supporting LOVD and handmade. I still haven't had time to work out all the Etsy shop opening details, but stick with me, it's coming soon!

I Want to Stay in Touch

We have to take care of some business today. So sorry for the interruption of "casual conversation that uplifts and inspires beautifully".

Without getting into too much detail because I don't understand the details myself let's just say Google and Facebook are competing with one another to take over the world and us bloggers and our followers are caught in this nasty war. Now, I can't really complain as both companies have offered all their services for FREE can't look a gift horse in the mouth, and all that. But FREE usually means they are the ones in charge, not me, not you. So, when changes come along, you make adjustments and hope those actions will keep you for the next couple of years, anyways.

Depending on how you receive daily LOVD posts, this may be the last day it will be delivered to you via Google Friend Connect and into your reader. Don't panic! I've made several various options from which to choose so there is no hiccup in our continuing communication and friendship. Just read over the various explanations I have below and take action so you will never miss a LOVD post due to this Google Friend Connect fiasco, scheduled to take effect March 1.

Choose one of the following actions to receive new LOVD posts automatically.

via e-mail - If you already receive new LOVD posts via e-mail, you are safe. There will be no change for you so you have to do nothing; just go about your day and I'll see you tomorrow for What I Made Wednesday. If you do not currently receive LOVD posts via e-mail, you can by subscribing. See that box to the right of this post entitled Feel LOVD Everyday by E-Mail? That is where you will enter your e-mail address, but you are not done, yet!!!!! You must verify your e-mail subscription. Feedburner will send you a confirmation e-mail that usually gets delivered to your Junk Mail or SPAM folder, so you'll have to look for it. Just click the link in the e-mail, then you've been subscribed. Got it?

via GFC -  Again, Google Friend Connect will not continue to place new LOVD posts into your Reader if you are not a Blogspot user (that's what they tell me). Rumor has it, the service will stop for Blogspot users in the future, as well. Google wants to use Google+ to compete with Facebook and I'm not about to start that account. If you go this route, I can't promise you'll get new LOVD posts delivered to your Reader, but if you want to Follow this way, I won't stop you. You can always choose another method later if it's not working out.

via Linky Followers - This is a great alternative to the Google Reader route. You can Follow via Linky Followers, but you'll have to open a FREE, new account, totally NOT shared by any third-party. Don't let this put you off because the benefits are amazing. It's a great way to organize if you follow a lot of blogs. It's absolutely FREE, so give it a try and see if you like it. If you're a blogger, I highly recommend this route for purposes beyond keeping up with LOVD posts. This option is to the right entitled LOVD Friends Stay Connected.

via Facebook - LOVD now has it's own Facebook page. I'll be sure to share new posts there daily. If you have a Facebook account, head on over and "Like" LOVD. Not only will you get the latest blog posts, you'll also get the 411 on new product introductions, sales, etc. (if I ever get that Etsy shop off the ground).

All of these options are found to the right side of this post. After today, I'm not sure how Google Friend Connect will change your ability to receive LOVD posts. I hope you find one of the above methods suitable so we may stay connected. I don't want to lose you; I want to stay in touch.

LOVD tidings,

Lilly

P.S. Why not Twitter? I frankly have no time to tweet! Sorry.

Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea: Give LOVD

Yes, let's not dwell on the obvious. It's the holiday season and I still don't have my Etsy shop opened. I know, I know, but, sometimes, the burning desire of eagerness has to be cooled by wisdom. Does it make sense to open an Etsy shop and trial run the whole operation during the holidays? If I want to do this right, I'm not going to wing it during the holidays, right? (formula for failure) So, 2012 is the year the LOVD shop will debut in all its glory!

Buutttt, for those of you that are lucky locals, I just wanted to remind you the LOVD glass pendant necklaces are available at Dazzle in Chagrin Falls, click here for all the details. They've got a great selection and, if you would like to change out the rubber necklace for a metal beaded necklace (as shown), just contact me and I'll send you one for free that matches the bail.

I sure hope you take some time this holiday season and delight in the boutique wares of Dazzle in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. It's a treat for all girls, young and "antiqued".

Is your holiday shopping list completely checked off?

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 18.

Party at The Wiegand's this Weekend!

Goodbye sweet, soggy October as I appreciated each day you gave me.
Goodbye sleep and regular heartbeat as I just saw the scariest movie ever - Paranormal Activity.
Goodbye short week at new school as we hear praise, accolades, and insight for our son at parent/teacher conferences - we're right where we belong.
Goodbye sleepover and getting spoiled at grandparents' house - lucky kid.
Goodbye ghosts, goblins, and ninjas, oh my!


Hello linky party at the Wiegand's (see that cute button over there to the right at the bottom of the column or the link at the top of this post? Consider it your invite).
Hello birthday bowling party with crashing of pins in the alley and in my head - where's the Excedrin?
Hello "classic" family fun enjoying the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra at their annual Halloween Family Concert.
Hello new followers - I am so excited to meet and get to know each of you better in our bloggy world.
Hello November quietly entering our lives with grace, beauty, and promise. Thank you.

Sneak peak of my Jump Ring Jewelry line: Royal Pearl Bracelet

The lesson I learned this week is I have to stop blaming my delayed, yet-to-be open Etsy shop on my lack of photography skills. That excuse has become old and has been running off the tongue a bit too naturally, lately. My new reason: fear; not so much fear of failure; that  I can handle; in that I have experience. No, it's the fear of success. It's how life may change if I actually start to get orders. Fear, fear. I'm completely relying on God for this and I'm s-l-o-w-l-y taking steps to see if I'm being guided by God...but the excuses come too easily. I've scratched away at the surface of my delay and here is what I've come up with: I must set fear aside making progress, regardless how minimal, each day toward the goal and believe He is with me, holding me up, never letting me fall, guiding me on this journey. In this I must trust and I want to honor that statement in doing something, anything, that helps me move forward toward my goals. Fear of failure doesn't bother me, but taking it one step at a time will, hopefully, lead me to where I was meant to be during this season in my life.


Dear friends, I hope you enjoy a weekend as beautiful as you! What are your plans?

Requesting an Extension

Did I do a good job distracting you with an awesome giveaway on Tuesday? Did I  make you forget with the adorable craft project on Wednesday? A little over a week ago I wrote a post vowing to do what ever it took to see that my little Etsy shop would open...last Tuesday. I have failed to make that happen, my apologies. But, I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Things happen like I didn't see the light of day on Saturday as I was sick in bed, Monday was Columbus Day and you know I was not going to waste my kiddo's day off from school (we had a blast down by the river) taking pictures of jewelry, and then there's the Fall Family Fair this weekend where I committed to making an entire bakery's-worth of homemade cakes and cookies (I want to make a good impression at our new school so I may have gone a bit overboard).


Yes, I know what you're thinking because I'm thinking the same thing: excuses, excuses, excuses. Well, I'm old enough to have learned that I'm only delaying success, postponing good results. The best is waiting for me and that's my motivation for fulfilling my promise. But I'm not SuperWoman, and I'm not going to make myself sick over trying to be one. What I am, however, is a person who puts her best out there and I want to get the photographs as good as I can for the Etsy shop to really show the jewelry's quality and beauty. That I will not compromise on, no matter what the deadline.

So, kind readers, I humbly ask for an extension for my shop opening. I think we've all been there, delayed fulfillment of a promise, in some capacity or another so I know you'll understand. I won't make any promises now because making excuses takes just as much work but you will be the first to know when the shop finally opens its virtual doors!

No More Excuses

Time to bite the bullet; jump in with both feet; throw caution to the wind. I've procrastinated long enough in the opening of my Etsy shop and I need to do something to keep things progressing along. I've been blaming it on the photography but really, it's been a sad excuse. Folding laundry, picking up toys, and trying new recipes and crafts all steal my attention and time quite easily from what I really should be doing. So, NO. MORE. EXCUSES.

 

The Holiday Season is just around the corner!

I declare one week from today LOVD will make available at least 5, count them 5 pieces of product to sell on the shopLOVD Etsy shop. See that little area to the left on your computer screen above my profile? Clicking there will take you to my Etsy shop that currently has zero, nada, no items for sale. But by next Tuesday, friends, I will do whatever it takes to have that "click here" mean something!

Sign at Anthropologie during a seasonal display change.

I need your help in holding me accountable. Today's declaration should be all I need since I'm a person of my word and take that character trait VERY seriously. So, pardon my dust...the studio will be hopping with flash bulbs popping, prop set-ups, and hot, hot lighting (maybe another reason why not to turn the furnace on so early in the season).

Take a glimpse of my jewelry and my story: What is LOVD?


Are you procrastinating on anything right now?

Going Local: Dazzle

If you happen to be strolling in the Chagrin Falls area you have got to check out Dazzle. LOVD's glass pendant necklaces are sold at Dazzle and we recently held a photo shoot at the store. It is a sweet and adorable shop just for young girls and tweens. The shop carries fresh gift ideas, stylin' clothing, and hip jewelry items girls love. And the best part: Dazzle plays hostess to birthday parties and craft events throughout the year. So treat a sweet girl you know to Dazzle...where a girl can shine.

Located north of Downtown Chagrin Falls

Look closely...do you see the LOVD display on the right?

LOVD glass pendants on Stretchie necklaces!

So much to explore and discover!

Party in the Birthday Room!

High-quality clothing lines are represented.

Your LOVD glass pendant is waiting just for you.

Upcoming Store Events
Dazzle hosts their 100th Birthday Party! on Sat., July 23 (10 am - 6 pm)

Dazzle's 1-year Anniversary! on Sat., August 6 (10 am - 6 pm) and Sun., August 7 (noon - 5 pm)

Dazzle...where a girl can shine
100 N. Main St. Suite 145
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
440.247.4858

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 3.

Goodbye LEGO Camp until next year.
Goodbye Harry Potter; an end of an era.
Goodbye lunches with bunches of friends.
Goodbye friendly advice from two bloggers I admire.
Goodbye photo shoot at Dazzle - thank you!

LOVD jewelry can be found at Dazzle in downtown Chagrin Falls.

Hello parents' wedding anniversary.
Hello sweet baby's baptism.
Hello finishing up promised projects.
Hello swimming and funning at the pool.
Hello new opportunities.

This week I learned about my own strong convictions supporting freedom of speech in America. A recent post spurred on some strong comments from an anonymous reader who offered their "constructive criticism".  As the author of this blog I have the capability to delete any and all comments this blog receives. I made the decision to keep those comments visible because my belief in freedom of speech is stronger than my own ego. Let freedom ring!


What are you saying goodbye and hello to this week?