A Surprise Gift

About a week ago I received a package from an Etsy seller. I didn't remember ordering anything, so I was quite intrigued to find out what was inside. Upon opening the box, I found this beautiful coffee cup with little birds painted on it. It was a gift from fellow Etsy and blogging friend LeAnn! LeAnn knows that these little birds are very special to me and this gift was such a sweet surprise! I cannot thank you enough LeAnn for your kindness and thoughtfulness!


Some of my long-time readers will remember that I got a tattoo of a bird (my Freebird) in memory of my brother. And this coffee cup is such a perfect fit! I've been having my morning coffee in it each day! And it reminds me of my brother every morning :)

I'd like to give a special thank you to LeAnn and a little shout out to her shop as well.
With 4th of July just around the corner, I thought I'd share some fun, festive items from her shop:


I purchased one of these oven mitts, so I can attest to their awesomeness! They are thick, durable and oh so pretty!


Last fall I got to meet LeAnn in person! And I picked up one her key fobs while visiting her booth. You can have your own...and this one is perfect for the upcoming holiday.


Throwing a party? How about a fun bunting to jazz up the food table or your entry way!

Thank you again LeAnn! I really appreciate my mug and your friendship :)

Friendship & Freebirds

One of the things I love most about blogging is the connections and friendships I've made. I've had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people from all over the world because of this blog...how cool is that! Today I'd like to send a special thank you to one of these friends. Cynthia of Antiquity Travelers recently sent me a very special gift that I'd like to share with you today :)

 

 As some of you know, I got my first tattoo back in May of a Freebird design in honor of my brother. Cynthia said that when she saw these jewelry components, she thought of me :) The earrings and necklace are both so gorgeous!

I love how the earrings are engraved on both sides with the bird design. And the color is so perfect for me!

The necklace is such a beautiful piece! I love the bead woven necklace and bird pendant. Such beautiful work!

Thank you so much Cynthia...these were such a nice surprise and such a sweet gift :)

If you'd like Cynthia to create a special piece for you as well, stop by her shop and see all the beautiful work she's done!

Birds for his Birthday

 Today would have been my brother's 35th birthday. While this day is going to be very hard, I am also determined to smile and remember the good times. I am going to celebrate for him even though I can't celebrate with him.

Most of my readers have seen my tattoo of the bird I got in memory of my brother. The coolest thing about this specific bird is that it is on my software program for my laser. I altered it a bit to make it one-of-a-kind and I can create other things with it as well.

I created a window decal for my old car and put it right in the middle of my back window so every time I look in the rear view, I see it :)

 

Since there was some extra space around the bird, I decided to cut out little birds as well. I used them for nail decals. They turned out so cute!

I'll also be blasting Freebird at the cemetery later today. And I'm going out with my sister-in-law and some of Jim's friends for Mexican. It's kind of a tradition as you can see from the photo above :)

Memorial Tree and Sign

 

Last Thursday we got our memorial tree planted. It was a gift from Jesse's family and I think it's the best gift I've ever received! I also think it might be the most thoughtful gift I've ever received. We planted it in the front yard so I see it every time I look out the kitchen window. And it's right at the front of the driveway so we see it the minute we get to the house.

We also got some perennials to go with it. I got to pick these out myself, so of course I went with a pink. I chose two pink roses that are a hearty shrub variety that will be easy to take care of. (Since I don't have a green thumb!)

I also chose three black violas. I've never seen a black flower before and I think they complement the pink well. I just love how everything turned out!

I also designed some memorial signs. I used the same software I use for my laser and emailed the file to a company in a neighboring town for them to cut out. Boy how I wish my laser could cut metal! What I love most is that the bird in the middle matches my tattoo :)

Every time I look outside or go to the mailbox, I'll think of my brother :)

My First Tattoo

Well, I survived the tattoo!!! I'm not gonna lie, it did hurt. But it was worth any ounce of pain. And within an hour after getting it, I was totally pain free. I was so excited they let us take pictures in the shop.

Here I am getting ready. Right now he's just putting on the transfer and getting things prepped...so I'm still all smiles.

This is pretty much the face I made through the whole thing...lol! I shut my eyes, bit my lip and squeezed my leg. But no tears :)

The outline was the worst part, but the shading wasn't quite as bad. I managed a half smile here while he's doing the shading.

And I'm all smiles at the end :)

 For those that didn't catch my Friday post, this is a memorial tattoo for my brother. He loved tattoos and Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd was always his song. He sure would have loved my tattoo!

Friday Features - Freebird

Tomorrow I'll be getting my first ever tattoo!!! I'm excited and scared all at the same time. I'm not gonna lie...I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to needles. But the tattoo is very special to me and will totally be worth it in the end. I'm getting a memorial tattoo in honor of my brother. Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd was always his song and I'm getting a bird silhouette on my wrist to always have him near.

I promise pics to come soon of my new tattoo! But until then, enjoy these great bird silhouette finds from Etsy!

Sterling silver tiny swallow ring

by AhoyBirdy 

Free Bird

by FrenchTheLlamas 

 Swallow Bird Silhouette OOAK Papercut Original Art ACEO

by onetruetree 

Set Of Three Wall Mounted Wooden Swallows

 by DarcyWoodCraft