Spending time with one of my favorite little ladies!

Hello.

I’ve been wanting to begin this blog for weeks and last night I too was inspired by a little girl and her amazing family.  It’s wonderful how sometimes one moment in your life or even watching someone else’s moment can add a “log” to the fire burning inside of you.  Well for me, that moment was last night.  I’m not sure I could actually tell you which moment was the most inspiring but I want to share a few and maybe you can decide.  Undoubtedly you will understand why I am Inspired by Isabella after you read this.

So I was BLESSED with having several of my friends gathered at my home
and one particular family is the Dooley’s.  It had been a while since I had seen this cute couple and their terrific triplets but I was excited to say the least.  Mia, Max and Isa walked in and quickly disappeared.  I love this because that meant that they felt right at home which is exactly what I wanted.   As I introduced everyone to Kristina and Greg the conversation came up about just how had I met their family.  Now I believe everything happens for a reason so I’m going to tell you that with the numerous opportunities that I could have met Kristina and the kids through (like little gym, the neighborhood, sports event, preschool or even story time at the library) our meeting started over a simple question, “May I ask what that is that your daughter has to wear on her arm during swim lessons”?  Kristina and Greg were amazing in their reply, telling me, with some detail, about type 1 diabetes.  I’m not going to say I walked away anywhere close to an expert, but I had a new found need to discover more about what the Dooley’s were going through.  As a mother myself, there is something that happens inside your heart when you hear another mother speak about wanting to find a cure for her daughter and so many others in the world like Isa.  So I researched and read several of Kristina’s blogs and the next time I saw the kids at swim lessons I asked even more questions.   But all this being said, I still didn’t understand everything that a family with type 1 diabetes goes through  (waking up several times in the middle of the night to check blood sugar, dealing with sugar lows and highs and so much more) until I watched them in my home living ‘life at a party’.  

Several checks with the monitor before a juice box or cookie.  Watching Isa walk through how to check the levels herself.  Hearing the excitement from her siblings that they could have juice because Isa was low enough that she could have some.   They were quick flashes of reality through chaos as a host but I was filled with so much more understanding in those brief moments than all of my previous months of reading and research.

I’m thrilled to have had this time with my friends Mia, Max and Isa last night and I look forward to my continued education on type 1 from this “Team”.   I want to share some photos with my new BFF Mia and also one with the amazing mama Kristina and the super hero herself, Isa (Max graciously declined- 🙂 ) I hope you will take the opportunity to read more on our tab Inspired by Isabella and help them with your thoughts and prayers kick type 1 to the curb.  We also designed our Rosette for Isa specific for the JDFR Foundation as half of the proceeds from the sale of this item with be directly donated in Isa’s name.

Thank you to the Dooley’s and all the heroes out there!  You inspire me!
Warmest Regards,
Amy

Who is the Artisan behind West Coast Wraps?

When I came up with the concept for Artizenbox, I knew that I wanted only the most talented and creative artists to fill my shop and community with.  I understood that this meant seeking out artist from all over the United States, focusing on the kind of art/products that I myself would enjoy.  So when I stumbled onto West Coast Wraps (formally Wraps by Tammy) I instantly fell in love with her designs and craft.  There has been so much buzz about Victoria Emerson wraps that I knew the look I was going after, but of course I needed someone with a personal touch to their product.  I spoke to the Creator of West Coast Wraps via the wonderful internet and we talked of our children and hobbies and of course her amazing talent.

Mae Hinson wearing one of West Coast Wraps favorite bracelets (Shades of Turquoise).

When I received my first “arm candy” (as they call their wraps) in the mail, my jaw actually dropped at the quality and attention to detail that is put into their wraps.  Truly, photos do not do these products ANY justice.  I immediately showed any friend I saw my new acquisition, and actually had to PRY it out of the hands of quite a few of them.  I think my father-in-law said it best when he said, “I mean look at this detail, it’s unbelievable!  are you sure these are all done by hand?”   Well I’m here to tell you that I am sure and I am confident that you will love the truly one of a kind leather bracelet wraps that West Coast Wraps craft.  (Which is why it is a feature in our shop! Only the BEST handmade for my friends… you, that’s you I’m talking about 😉 ) Please take a moment to check out this amazing Mom and Dad duo who makes a gorgeous piece of arm candy.

Mae Hinson wearing one of the coveted Slouchy Hats from the Crochet-Shop (Amy Kunz).

For the Love of the Wrap…. (bracelet that is)

I seriously have found my all time favorite accessory for the Summer 2015 fashion season….  My collection of Bohemian leather wrap bracelets is growing fast and furiously!  (and I’m in love)  I was dreaming about the different styles and what outfits I could coordinate them with- I had trendy fashion on the brain.  As if karma was speaking to me, I found this post on my twitter feed and it sealed the decision deal for me- I bought this fun turquoise wrap and paired it with my Alex and Ani and now everywhere I go I feel like a celebrity with the number of compliments I have been receiving.  So- when I look at these amazing works of art

I am constantly in awe of the detail and precision that goes into each bracelet.  I wanted to educate myself more on how to make something so cool and trendy- I mean if Marie Claire, Redbook, Lucky, InStyle and Vogue are raving about it surely I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!  So I found this super cool site called Instructables and Natalina wrote this fabulous how to blog that was so fun and descriptive.  I love the concept, love the style and while the how to is great…. I’ll leave the handiwork to our fabulous designer Tammy from West Coast Wraps because hers are the best quality I’ve seen yet and “honey- friends don’t let friends buy anything but the best!”

 Toodles for Now! 😉
Amy

How to add New Life to a room or door

So I am going to start by saying that I am FAR from an interior decorator in my own home.     I L-O-V-E to see how other people decorate their space and even pine for and will be all out jealous for the simplistic yet elegant look you have created for yourself.  But the joke in my family is, “Amy, who is that adorable child you have a photo graph of in your family room?”  To which I reply, “oh yes, isn’t she beautiful…. she came with the frame.”  (Pouty face of embarrassment)  I  do try to get all Gabrielle Blair from Design Mom – whose blogs I think are fun, creative and real- but I have yet to reach her caliber.  I was super excited however when I met two very inspirational women through an online Mom site that happened to live just miles from my very own front door, to help me overcome my lack of knowledge with their abundance of talent and delicious artistic vision .  Beth and Shannon are the founders and owners of one of the newest shops featured here on Artizenbox, Urban Whimsy.  One of my favorite things about Artizenbox is that we reserve the right to be VERY picky when it comes to the quality and type of items we carry.  (Maybe that sounds a little stuffy but when you buy from our shop of artisans you can feel very confident that your purchase is a excellent one.)  That being said, Urban Whimsy’s wreaths and home decor are beyond exceptional in quality!  I recently purchased one of their beautiful wreaths for myself (it was hard to choose which one I liked more than the others- but I finally settled on my “Mr. Right” for right now- I mean- who is to say I can’t buy another in the near future… don’t tell my husband (wink wink)) and posted a review of it on our YouTube Channel watch it here.  I want to show you where this gorgeous handmade creation made it’s debut in my home… I call it my cozy reading nook, what do you think?  I’m excited to share their collection of Home Decor to add new life to your everyday room… I mean if a girl with photo stock pictures in most of her frames can do it-  these ladies have the perfect accessory for you too!!!

Toodles,

Amy

The Art of Gifting and Why Giving is Good for for the Soul

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” • Henry James

I’ve found as I’ve gotten older, there is much more pleasure in giving gifts to others than buying for myself.  Wonder why? Maybe you know what a chore it is to get rid of all the unnecessary ‘stuff’?; Maybe it’s because you really don’t need as much as you thought you did when you were younger?; I’d like to think it’s because it just feels good!  The Art of Gifting is no secret.

Giving for no special reason other than a random act of kindness, really makes your heart sing – it’s good for your soul.  Did you know that there have been studies that prove there are concrete benefits to giving: volunteer your time; donate money to a great cause; or just perform a random act of kindness.   Some things I love about giving an unexpected gift to someone is the Art of Gifting:  

• Picking out a special something
• Finding that special card [or making one]
• Wrapping it in love and funny paper
• Tying that gift up with a beautiful bow
• Presenting it to the unsuspecting friend 💕💕❤️

I am lucky to know about Artizenbox.com and I’ll tell you why:  A Gift made with Love is special gift indeed.  Amy looks for artisans that are passionate about what they do and how they do it.  For example, you can buy a wrap bracelet from any number of places online, but when you purchase a West Coast Wrap you know it is one of a kind and made with love.  None of the products available on Artizenbox.com are mass produced.  Whether you are looking for the perfect baby shower gift or something for your favorite cat, you’ve come to the right spot.  So, go out there and practice the Art of Gifting, It’s good for the soul

Sticks and Stones may break my bones… but Words CAN be the best Gifts to find

We’ve all had days that we wished would end sooner or start over.  The moments you think, “what am I doing here?”  And then you find a passage or a note and suddenly your heart feels lighter, is singing a lovely song and doing the happy dance.

Last year, still newly a stay at home Mom, I would take my youngest on nature walks while my other two kids were at school.  Typically this would be a fabulous time for me to crochet in the car while the baby took a nap, but sometimes it would just be too pretty outside to let the day go by

without playing a game I liked to call “seek out beauty”.  This was my way of letting go of any stress or anxiety that might be building up and just looking for the good stuff to remind me of the bigger picture.  I took great pleasure in my little game and posted several of my findings on my personal Instagram account (sharing one of my favorites here).

So today has greeted me with some anxiety filled moments.  I can’t say that I was handling them in the best light, but then I stumbled upon an amazing Mom blog (through one of the Facebook groups I am on) and she absolutely took my breath away with her gift of words.  The ^ mostly Mindful Mommy, Ms. Katy, speaks with great eloquence about “Be Happier Today by Asking Yourself These 3 Questions.”   (I highly recommend reading this entry of hers!)

So with these 3 questions in my mind I began to relax and remind myself of the beauty that I had so much fun seeking out before in my “game”.  Suddenly the bigger picture came into view and I no longer felt the anxiety of before because of one person’s words.  Now of course, all the issues I was facing didn’t just melt away; but I chose to receive the gift that was presented to me and look at things differently.

Now I want to pay this gift forward!  One of the ways is by sharing Katy’s inspiring words with all of you here but the other way is by writing 3 personal notes (and of course I know the perfect blank note cards from JPRitz Photography with ‘sights of the summer seashells’ that I have been dying to use!)  One note I’m writing to someone I recently met that has helped me to change my thinking in monumental ways.  Another I am writing to a life long friend who always inspires me to dream bigger and work harder.  And the last I plan to write out a simple “Thank you” and gift it to someone that I cross paths with in the next few days that really touches me with their kindness (towards me or someone else I witness them being caring to).

Remember- words are powerful tools that everyone has at their disposal, use them with grace and kindness…. “Gift them”.

The Gift that is always needed but often overlooked…

As a Mom I can tell you that quite often I hear the words, “I need/get me/I want….” (you get the idea).  I can also share with you that one of the very biggest lessons in my house is centered around giving, respect and manners.  So will it come to any surprise to you that my nearly 2 year old has better manners than my 8 year old?

I’m probably going to get a little “deep” here but I think our society has leaned way to the right on “take care of YOU” or “You are the Most Important Person to YOU”!  And while I believe there is truth to that statement, I also feel that helping one another and showing gratitude is part of “taking care of you”; in this sense the you being your soul.

Stacey Bradshaw makes the most elegant bangles Click here to check them out.

Recently I joined a fabulous group of women from the media outlet cupcakeMAG.  This online free magazine from ISSUU features super cute very trendy and stylish items from several small business Mamas around the country.  Clearly I needed Artizenbox to be a part of this HOT publication.  I mean they featured amazing celebrities like Tori Spelling, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lauren Conrad (just to name drop a few, *wink*).  I was totally enamored.  But my favorite thing that I found in my new honeymoon collaboration is this

UNBELIEVABLE “tribe” of Mom Entrepreneurs that are supporting one another, rooting for each other, motivating and MENTORING one another.

So today I find myself taking note from Thomas S. Monson,

“Having gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it”

reminding me to be thoughtful and gracious just as these newly found mom friends have done for me without knowing me at all.

Thank you Stacey and so many other amazing new Cupcake Mama’s for making the journey even more amazing with your kindness and support!!!

Every time I smell that perfume, I’m reminded of her gift to me

As I sit here and write this blog I am flooded by emotions and memories.  I am definitely a scents memory person.  In high school, my current boyfriend would absolutely not be allowed to wear the same scent as my previous one.  The smell of Jasmin blossoms will always remind me of the hotel I stayed at in Arizona while working with L’Oréal Fragrances.  And I was far more particular about my perfume selection for my wedding day than my shoes (sounds kind of silly now that I tell you all out loud).  So in saying all this you can begin to understand how it touched me to hear a friend say recently, “Every time I smell my Grandma’s perfume I’m reminded of the confidence and support she gave to
me.”
I recently had the pleasure to meet a fabulous mama named Inez.  Inez is the owner of G & L Chic shop
(click here to check out her sweet shop)  and recently her best friend/grandma was delivered
up to heaven.  Listening to Inez talk about how her Grandma motivated her to open
her shop and was always her biggest supporter and fan moved me to tears.

I so often think about the amazing people that have touched my life with their inspiration and support.  Guidance and comfort can come in so many different forms; an embrace, a nod, a well written note, a speech and sometimes the more obscure things, like a familiar smell of a motivating past friend right at the moment you need it most.

I am so grateful for these gifts in all their forms and I believe Inez was a gift to me: reminding me to hold close the memories of those who encouraged me.

Warm Wishes Always.

This post is written with fond remembrance of Ida Silva (March 28 – August 2015) and all the loved ones who have touched and continue to push you to live out your dreams.

-Bench under a Willow tree painting is credited to Kim Stenberg