My Birthday Wish...

(The fabulous Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal prints I gave to Matt for Valentines Day)

This Sunday, something will happen for only the 2nd time that I can remember in my life... my birthday and Mother's Day fall on the same exact day. It is kind of neat in a way, but I also have to share my "special day" with 50 million other people. I suppose at 29, birthdays are getting over-rated anyway ☺

Today, I noticed that one of my favorite Etsy shops, Berkley Illustration , has their ballot-casting going on for a new animal to be drawn in May. Ryan Berkley draws these amazing, lifelike drawings of all kinds of different animals wearing clothes. There is usually a little back story that goes behind each one. They are hilarious and classy, all at the same time. (PLUS, they give amazing service to their customers...I was highly impressed!).

For as long as I have known about these ballot-castings, I have voted for pygmy marmoset. It has been my favorite animal since I saw a little video on Sesame Street featuring them, back when I was just a sprout. I want one for a pet soooo bad, but they are around $3000. I think a full-grown one is about the size of a bird. The babies are just teeny-weeny:

The thing is, try as I might, I cannot get anyone else to give up a vote for the regal little marmoset. As a last ditch effort, I am going to exploit my birthday situation and ask for help for my lovely blog-friends ☺ If you go to THIS LINK and leave a comment voting for the pygmy marmoset, I will love you forever and ever. (Okay, I will love you even if you don't...).

On that note, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and Mother's Day. Tonight Matt and I are going to see one of my favorite comedians, who is often on the Bob & Tom Radio Show, Costaki Economopolous. I think it should be a good time, and I am sooo looking forward to it!

Beady buddies

(My little bead-boy from Variation, who just made friend with my post-Easter find from today)

A while back, I stumbled upon a new Etsy shop that I found extremely charming. Though open less than a month at the time, she was pushing 30 sales! I was impressed. Her creations are the type of unique, "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" sort of thing that all of us creators are constantly striving for.

Variation makes little bead-people out of vintage beads and findings. Almost as charming as the people themselves are the PHOTOS on her listings. I can't imagine the time she puts into them. I told her she really needs to start a side-business of selling prints of her images ☺

I LOVE this one in particular! Consequently, she purchased some of my chenille pups, and they seemed to get along very well with her own little bead-friends:

Check out Variation on Etsy and Flickr !

♥♥♥♥♥♥

In other goings-on, my husband is working diligently in painting/staining/varnishing and hanging trim for me. Can you believe that we have lived here for nearly 2 years and I have little to nothing hanging on my walls?? I can't wait for the big unveiling so that I can hang up some lovely artwork from my bloggy-friends Bunzi, Mushy, and Jenny . Can't wait for the unveil? I am sure you can scour their blogs and find the trade-details ☺ For now, I must go make some more "balls in shells" for supper!