Labor Day Weekend Sale

I am planning a Labor Day weekend Sale that will begin Friday and go through Monday night. This sale is a great way to stock up on scarves, hats, towels and other goodies. It's going to start cooling off and everyone will need warm scarves and hats. Buy now and put up for Christmas! The sale will be 30% off everything in my shop, and my prices are already low and affordable. Check it out next weekend at MattsCraftyWife on Artfire and on Etsy!

The End of an Era

The time has come. The end of an era. I am officially closing my Etsy shop, mattscraftywife. I have thought long and hard about this and feel it is the right decision. I have a part time job working from home and do not have the time to devote to making new items for my Etsy shop now. Sales have been pretty slow for the better part of a year. The passing of my mom has brought me to a new chapter in my life, whether I like it or not, and it's time to do something else. I just don't have the heart for it right now.

I will be leaving my BreathofDawnStudio shop open until fall/winter to see if the higher-end scarves and winter items will sell. If they do, I might keep that shop as a seasonal shop. I will not be leaving Etsy altogether, I will still log in with the one shop in order to check on sales, and to check in with my teams. I'll just be laying a little low until Fall. I can still be found on Facebook at My Fan Page.

A Great Big thank you to all of the customers who have come to me and been loyal to me. I also need to thank my Etsy friends who taught me so much and supported me during some hard times. You all are dear to my heart. And thanks to my husband who has supported my time on Etsy, and my other family members who bought from me and supported me emotionally. Of course I thank and praise God for the success I had on Etsy over the last two years. I had 319 sales as of today, with 100% positive feedback. Maybe someday God will bring me back to Etsy on a more regular basis, who knows. Until then...

Farewell!

FUN WITH CAST TEAM FRIENDS

I had the most wonderful time of fellowship with my friends from Etsy, CAST team to be specific. (CAST team is Christian Artists Street Team). My friend Daffy as she is known, has been planning a trip to FL for a few months and wanted to come and see me while here. I was so excited waiting for her and her husband Hank to arrive! She told me she had some huge surprise for me, and I couldn't even fathom a guess. So I walked outside to greet them in the driveway and I hugged her and Hank hello. She told me she brought that surprise, and to close my eyes and walk towards the car with her. I bent down to look in a bag she told me to look at, and someone tapped me on the (very) lower back. I stood up and there was a woman standing there with big sunglasses on. I had no idea who she was at first. Then I remembered Daffy saying a DOOZY of a surprise and the woman took off her sunglasses and it was LEAH, who happens to be my Kindred! We have been buddies online and on the phone for a long time and I couldn't believe she was standing there in my yard!! We both started squealing and screaming and hugging. It was so wonderful. Then I had to hug Daffy some more.
That was just the first five minutes of our visit! They came inside, with loads of groceries for lunch, and we all talked and hugged and just had fun. It took an hour to stop talking and visiting so we could sit and eat together. Matt said the prayer and we ate.. fried chicken, corn on the cob, salad, antipasta, bread and more. Then we had dessert too! Chocolate frosted yellow cake, red velvet cake, and the lemon squares I made from scratch for Daffy who loves lemon.
We sat and talked about lots of things and took pictures of us together. They left just before 7 because they have an over-3-hour drive back to Orlando. I am so glad they came up and saw us! We had a wonderful time together and I'm feeling so blessed to have been able to meet 3 CAST team members today, in person. Daffy is such a kind hearted friend, and it was lovely to give her hugs and kisses xoxoxo in person. Leah is my Kindred and so fun, and sweet. I loved meeting Hank who is a very nice guy and I can tell he and Daffy love each other. I think Matt had fun hanging out with him too.

Another update on my mom

I had the opportunity to go and visit my mom Friday night through Saturday evening. I would not have been able to afford the trip if not for the generosity of my Etsy friends (see previous post!) I am so thankful to everyone who gave from the heart and their pockets in the fundraiser that one Etsy friend started on my behalf!

Many times there are people visiting from out of state, and I have to share my mom. This trip, no one was there except me, my husband and two of our kids. My dad took the kids and my husband out a few times to give me time with my mom, all alone. It was so nice to visit with her and sleep next to her on the couch as she was in her "daybed" (we call her hospital bed a daybed, it sounds cuter! LOL)

The first night I was there we met at the beach, my mom and I sat on a bench to talk alone while the guys walked the beach. I gave her a gift, something my friend http://www.wordzoflife.etsy.com made for her, a heart-shaped Snippet (check out her shop for some) that says Jesus on it. She loves it SO much!

Yesterday while we were alone, I took care of some of her needs. We had a "spa day" and I cut and painted her toenails, styled her hair and applied her makeup. She was looking quite lovely and said she felt so much better. Guys don't think of doing these things, so my dad doesn't do them. She tries to do her hair and makeup herself but gets tired out. I was happy to do it for her and spend time close by her. She had to nap in between each session, and I would nap nearby her. This photo on the top of my post was taken after our spa time, and she looks quite refreshed. It's my favorite picture that I got this weekend.

God is good to give us more time together. We don't know how long it will be, a day, weeks, months? But I have her here now, and I will visit her as much as possible. I'll tell her all the things in my heart and show her my love every time I see her. I kiss her and hug her several times an hour. We should always be showing our love to people in the family, as if it could be OUR last day. No one knows how long they have. I could die before she does, one just never knows.

Every time I have to leave her and drive over 3 hours to come home, I cry like a baby. I never know if that was the last goodbye in person that I'll have. But I love her more than I could ever express in words. She is the best Mom a girl could have ever asked for. God gave her to me, and I'm thankful.