I have been tweaking my shop site (with my coder of course, don’t want to mess anything up) and it occurred to me that I really need to make room for some of the new designs and inventory that I have been shooting.  I have decided to discontinue some of the existing designs so I can comfortably bring in new ones! I have added links to the pieces below that are marked 1/2 off the original price (use the drop down menu to reveal the discounted price) and also have included in the drop down an option to buy an unmounted version.  Once these designs sell out they will not be brought back in the line so get them while they last!

In the grand scheme of things this wouldn’t warrant much hoopla, but that doesn’t discount how incredibly charming this tool is–a metal marshmallow roaster in the shape of a twig.  Delightful!  It seems like the States have become riddled with news of heat waves, which makes the option of roasting seem obscene. Come early fall this should be a wonderful pastime, roasting (gourmet) marshmallows on an open fire with your brilliant and good looking utensil.  You would be the talk of the S’mores ball–for sure. For under $20 this could be yours! 

P.S. I learned today that it is marsh-mallow and not marsh-mellow (a better name).  It’s true that you learn something new everyday!

My husband and I like to take the back roads around here to get to our destinations (you know exciting places like Target), they are always free of traffic, have beautiful views and have charming little homes set back acres from the road. There’s always a few that just sit there abandoned and we wonder what their story is, no family to take it over? Still in the family but just neglected?  It’s odd to see an abandoned home in between manicured lawns.  There’s an abandoned house down the road from us, the neighbors don’t know much about it except it’s been there since their grandparent’s were kids.  I peeked in the window once, curious and it’s like time has stood still in the home–sofa, stove, paintings etc. it’s all there, vines growing through everything and roof exposed to the sky but it’s all there.  I can’t believe no one has ever looted it.  Can you imagine living next to a place for decades and never going in to see what treasures it holds?  It is most likely infested with mold and mites but 30-40 years ago? It should have still had a roof and plenty of opportunity for people to walk around and take a gander. In the movies everyone in the country seems to know one another and there’s always some kind elderly person that knows all the town secrets + history, not here.  All I have is my imagination to fill in the blanks, sigh.  On another note, I found a wonderful and authentic Lith print Photoshop action that is so good, it’s truly one click and you get a great old timey effect which I thought was perfect for this abandoned house, best part? It’s free!  You can find it here.

The ubiquitous antler makes its appearance in the shop.  These and a few other woodland inspired designs were supposed to be in my first round of stamps but room was at a premium and they lost out to calligraphy sentiments, sorry little antler stamp.  I gave a peek of them in my stamp storage post and the emails came flooding in wanting to know when it would be in the shop. I am slow going with the photos and editing so it seemed like ‘one day’ was going to be my best answer, but I got inspired and did some product photography for a few hours and now you can pick your stamp up here.   I use these a lot for my personal stationery, I think they fit where I am at in my life right now–the deep country. I know antlers are a trendy motif but they are so good so I am happy to be able to offer them to you!

This sign by Wordbilly sort of sums up my feelings today.  My shop’s site has had some sort of weird bug (like its mama) and decided to get all wonky on me, no photos have been showing up.  We have been behind the scenes for nearly a day trying to figure out what in the world I did to it, what in the world could be wrong. Honestly, I did nothing but my Coder seems to believe otherwise; I can read into emails like nobody’s business, you?  I see that his ‘let’s try this or that’ actually is a trap to see if I haven’t already tried ‘this or that’ on my lonesome. I am a doer after all so it would make sense that I would try something, but I am terrified of repercussions of fiddling with my sites, that’s why this here blog still does not have a simple subscribe feature. One day.  I found Wordbilly above via Twitter’s Tweet Deck (I downloaded yesterday).  I mentioned earlier this week I am not much of a Tweeter (is that even the proper verbiage?) but Meagan Camp (you must visit) gave me the sweet advice of being more Twitter active for my little shop, she obviously does not know how absolutely boring I am. So, on this Friday morn I am going to ask all of you about this Twitter thing and see if you can give me any tips + tricks, links to figure it out.  I feel like I am in the vortex of cacophony and I don’t want to get sucked in and feel like I am just adding to the noise and not adding to the conversation, if that’s what it is– a conversation. It seems like people are just photographing their breakfast a lot, but please help me see the light.  With much appreciation.