New Packaging

New packaging that is cuter and more cost effective:

Headband

Tonight I started and finished my first sewing project. I've done a few before, mainly pillows, but never finished them because they were too...lumpy.

I know this one is simple but I thought it was a pretty cute idea. I plan on doing more but my fabric stash is sad.

New Stuff Part 2

Little by little I'm adding new things to my Etsy, Cyanide & Sprinkles. I recently renamed it this because I sell on both ends of the spectrum, with dark things (like carved coffins and poison potions) and dainty, sweet things (like tea cup earrings).


Birds of a Feather earrings $9.00

 Spot of Tea adjustable ring $4.00

Frog's Breath charm necklace (from the movie Nightmare Before Christmas)  $7.99

 

 The Harry Potter Potion Collection $8.99 each
Felix Felicis. Polyjuice Potion, Oculus, Wolfsbane, Magi-Me-More, Amortentia, and Veritaserum (more to come) Oculus, Wolfsbane, and Amortentia have a really amazing look to them. Visit the shop for a closer look.

Love Potion #9 keychain $5.99 or necklace $8.99
These both have a really intense pink shimmering elixir inside.

Spot of Tea necklace $5.00
There are two other styles like this.

Stop by the shop to see the rest of my items.

Etsy.

I added a bunch of new items to my Etsy store including Felix Felicis (Liquid Luck), Pixie Dust, Love Potion No. 9, "V" from True Blood, and Arsenic! Head over to see what else HERE.

For Truth. For Justice. For Five Bucks a Day.

I have been sent a "Juror Qualification Questionnaire". Many people would groan and think up some excuse as to why jury duty just isn't possible for them. Not me. Jury Duty has been the ONE constant aspiration I've had since seeing  Jury Duty starring Pauly Shore when I was 6. It's a gem among many shiny Pauly gems, that movie. I'm serious. Jury Duty>Son in Law. I love Pauly Shore and I love the idea of jury duty. I'm pumped and have promptly filled out my questionnaire. It should soon be in the hands of Madison counties finest.

I've already started day dreaming about my interview with Carl Wayne Bishop's lawyers. Lucky for me, I don't interview well and any opinion I've ever had about anything flies out the window when I get nervous and I become a slobbering uneducated dummy. Unlucky for them I'm not on paper and plan to fight for Carl's immediate release, since he's innocent. He has taser marks on his neck, people!

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father

(a documentary by Kurt Kuenne) 

Andrew Bagby

Dear Zachary is the true story of Andrew Bagby, his best friend Kurt, and every single person Andrew knew before his shocking murder. After ending a bizarre relationship with his girlfriend, Shirley Turner, Andrew was ready to get back to his life practicing medicine in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Not even 24 hours after the break up, Andrew was found murdered in a nearby park. He was shot 5 times by Shirley. Soon after her arrest in Canada, Shirley announced that she was pregnant with Andrew’s child.

Filmmaker Kurt with Zachary

Andrew’s death was a tremendous tragedy, affecting everyone he had ever known. In his friend’s honor, filmmaker and director Kurt Kuenne dreamt of a tribute that recorded and memorialized everything anyone could ever know about Andrew and the amazing life he lead. It was his hope to one day pass his friend’s history to his unborn son he left behind, Zachary. With this idea in hand, Kurt left on a journey for which he had no specific time-line or end in mind. He would film until there was nothing left to learn about Andrew.

He had no idea the painful, beautiful, heart wrenching story that would unfold.

Andrew's parents with Zachary

For anyone who believes human beings are noble god-like creatures, with resilient hearts and minds, Dear Zachary will be the most riveting, Earth shattering film you’ll ever watch. And you’ll only watch it once, despite the fantastic musical scores, montages, and beautiful words spoken to a son about his father. It’s the worst story ever told in the most fantastic, beautiful, graceful way by fantastic, beautiful, graceful people. Though Dear Zachary illustrates humanity in its most disturbing hour, it also illustrates humanity at its most profound, remarkable and resilient.

-Sarah

--------------

This is the only film Netflix has ever recommended to me with a 5 star rating according to my rating interests. Netflix hit the nail on the head and I also give this film 5 stars.

This is one those stories that makes you wonder why. Why oh why oh why? It's terrible enough of a story to lose your faith. For me, it confirms that we humans are alone. There is no higher power. There is no one watching over us. There is nothing out there. It's just us and that's all. Maybe that in itself is a tragedy. But the brighter side to a story like this and the revelations like mine, is that humans are awe inspiring. The resilience of the human heart is better than any desperate prayer ever to a pretend man in the sky. It makes me wonder why humans create gods to worship, when we are god-like ourselves.

Watch Dear Zachary and learn something about your own humanity.

♫ + ☼ = ♥

(^music plus sunshine equals love)

I've been listening to music lately, which isn't something I've done in about 4-6 years. Yes, I listen to music but I haven't loved music since sobbing into the great Chris Dudley's arms as he stood in the St. Louis cold after playing a fantastic show with his band UnderOath. That was when I was 15. I'm 21 now and I can't remember the last concert I went to.

I've found music I like again. And I've unearthed some of my old favorites. At the very least, listen to this first one (it's my favorite right now):

Elysian Fields by Casey Frazier Read the lyrics here




The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel Read the lyrics here



Heartbreak World by Matt Nathanson Read the lyrics here




Control Freak by Copeland (RIP) Read the lyrics here



Best of Me- The Starting Line Read the lyrics here



View From Heaven- Yellowcard Read the lyrics



Some Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape- UnderOath Read the lyrics here



and finally the gateway drug, the catalyst, to all the music I've ever been interested in since 7th grade started with one band: Dashboard Confessional .

Stolen by Dashboard Confessional (but everything Dashboard is good). Read the lyrics here





♫ + ☼ = ♥

The Lily

THE LILY
William Blake


The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

The Latest.

I just got back from one of the best trips I've ever been on with some people who make me feel pretty sparkley and sunshiney, just like the places we visited. We drove from St.Louis to Cape Canaveral, Florida (18 hours) and boarded the Norwegian Sun, which took us to Cozumel and Key West. Cozumel was amazing, as were the ancient Mayan ruins we visited. Key West was fun and colorful. The ocean was beautiful, the (totally free) food was great, and so was the beading, which was what this entire trip was really about.

Cozumel, Mexico

A good friend of mine, Abbi, works as an instructor at her mom and aunt's bead store, The Bead Place. She was invited on this cruise to instruct a group of women in the art of jewelry making. I tagged along and learned some fun stuff. The first was "Viking Knit" which is like knitting with wire to make a Pandora style bracelet. The next was "Russian Spiral" which is a really simple technique that creates a not so simple, but super cute bracelet. I loved both of them and can't decide which one I love more. I'll definitely be making more. Abbi also taught a few ladies how to make starfish with beads, but I was immersed in my second Russian Spiral bracelet and didn't get the chance to learn.

Here are my new bracelets:

Soft Greens Russian Spiral bracelet

Soft Pinks Russian Spiral bracelet

Viking Knit front with Pandora style beads

Viking Knit back

New Year's Resolutions

Writing it down makes it official.

1. Be more silly. I have a new friend who is the silliest person I've ever met. It's contagious.
2. Write more. I'm taking a creative writing class that leads to publishing opportunities at the end.
3. Get healthier. I won't say lose weight because at some point I will lose whatever weight I want and after I do that I'll start hating on myself for something else. Instead I'd rather just be healthier..mentally, physically, and spiritually.
4. Read more books. I read 2 or 3 books this year which is terrible considering I used to read 15 to 20.

That's it.