American Heart Association's 2009 Heart Walk

Hello ladies! It's Allison (craftgirlalli) from Gifts From the Heart.

I am currently raising funds for the American Heart Association's 2009 Heart Walk. I want to share my story with all of you on why I participate in this event.

My son, Colby, who is now 28 months old, is a heart disease survivor. Colby was born on April 13, 2007, a healthy, beautiful baby boy. Weighing in at 7lbs. 12oz. and 21 inches long. Never once was there any question about his health. He was always above average for his age when it came to his height and weight. He was also developmentally on schedule as well. So, when it came time for his 12 month check up and the doctor told us he thought he heard a heart murmur, of course, I panicked. However, the doctor seemed to think that since Colby had never had any issues in the past, that this would turn out to be an innocent murmur that he would grow out of as he got older. As a precaution, his doctor wanted us to come back in a month and see if he could still hear the murmur. A month later we went back and the murmur was still there. He still didn't seem to be concerned about it, so I tried to not let the panick and worry take over my emotions, but it was hard! At 14 months old, Colby went to see a pediatric cardiologist. By just listening to Colby's heart and feeling his pulse in different areas, the cardiologist told us that he was 98% sure he knew what the cause of Colby's murmur was. Colby had an echo and an ekg done. Those confirmed that Colby had a Coarctation of the aorta. We were then informed that he would need surgery to correct this problem. If not corrected in the near future, it could cause more serious problems down the road. So, we made an appointment right away to meet with the surgeon to find out all the details and get a date set for his surgery. On July 30, 2008, Colby had closed heart surgery. With lots of prayers and great staff at the hospital, Colby made it through surgery just fine! He spent 2 days in the PICU and 2 days in the regular unit. We had one little scare during that time in the hospital. Colby's color wasn't returning to his face and lips, and he was right on the border line of needing a blood transfusion. Luckily, he didn't end up needing one. After just 4 days of being in the hospital, Colby was released to come home. He didn't need to be on any medication and had very little restrictions.

I am so grateful to the doctors and nurses that took care of him during his surgery and his time in the hospital. I am also very thankful for the AHA and the people who help support them. Without their research and education on heart diseases, who knows where we would be today.

Please help me in my efforts of raising funds for the AHA so that everyone can be as fortunate as Colby.

If you would like to make an online donation, you can go to my Heart Walk page. You can also make a donation through paypal or snail mail (please email walkforcolby@yahoo.com for details).

The Weekly Wednesday Thread Is BACK!

I'm sure you can all understand about life getting a little crazy sometimes - what am I talking about, you're mothers... you know exactly what I mean!!

Typically, the end of the school year is a sad, stressful and overwhelming time of the year. This year was even more so for me!! Not only was I trying to finish out the year, do an entire kindergarten graduation program and get my room ready to be cleaned over the summer, I was also doing it by myself. And dealing with a huge milestone... some of the kids in my first class were graduating!! Now I'm not saying this for sympathy :) I'm just trying to explain. You see, I have been fortunate over the last 8+ years to have had student teachers and I was just used to the help... that's all :)

And as if that wasn't overwhelming enough, I was also so very, very lucky to have had the chance to go to Europe this summer to see family and it was an amazing trip - one that I won't soon forget! Here's a picture of my little one and I in front of the Eiffel Tower...

Do you forgive me now?!?!

I hope so EtsyMoms because I'm back and ready to get this team pumped up and promoting in the threads!! Here' s this week's link to get you started... please come by and share your favs!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6248466

Can't wait to see you there!!

August's Featured Shop: mamasmagicstudio

This month's featured shop is mamasmagicstudio. Owner, Jen Johnson, believes that "something magical happens when human hands create beauty where there was none before." Her shop currently offers a variety of handcrafted items including: jewelry, knitting needles, dragonfly ornaments, bookmarks. Some of Jen's favorite medium are beads, semiprecious stones, and wire. She has always enjoyed crafting, taking after here mother who was a handcrafter now creating gorgeous quilts. She fondly recalls the handmade Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls her mother made to sell at a local boutique when she was in grade school. As an adult she has tried her hand at many different things: quilting, basket weaving, knitting, doll making, beading, hat making, sewing. In the future she would like to try felting, paper-making, crocheting and woodworking and it has always been her dream to learn how to work with glass.
Jen made her first sales of her handcrafted goods when she was in college....nearly 20 years ago, long before she imagined the existence of her Etsy shop, Mamas Magic Studio, which opened in July of 2008. Jen was actually introduced to Etsy through Craigslist in 2005, when she was thinking of opening an online shop for her baby friendly beads. Etsy was a perfect fit and she opened her firts shop, BabyFriendlyBeads.etsy.com, in February of 2006. This shop offered a unique line of breast feeding jewelry, inspired by her own experience as a mom. Jen enjoyed a great run with Baby Friendly Beads until late 2008 when the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) came into the spotlight. Designed to protect consumers, specifically children, from toxicity in their products, the CPSIA was born of good intentions as a result of the toxic lead paint scare from toys mass produced in China. Though, as many people know, this legislation is greatly flawed and does not take into account the difference between massive corporations, such as Matel, and the small cottage industry, including stay at home moms such as Jen. Blanket, end-unit testing is required across the board and HUGELY and negatively impacts the handcrafted sector putting many small companies and crafters out of business. So...in July of 2008 (before the CPSIA), Jen decided to open a second Etsy shop that would allow her to offer a wider variety of handmade items.
Jen refers to her primary job as "C.H.E.O. - Chief Home Economics Officer" of her family's little bungalow. Happily married for more than 12 years, the couple have a 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. Before staying home, Jen wore the hats of high school English teacher, artist's model, college composition instructor, and swing dance teacher. Until becoming a mother, she had "never dreamed of opening my own business. But I love it!" With two little ones at home, Mama's Magic Studio is a "very part-time operation"; work gets done in small bits during the day or late at night or when her "wonderful husband" picks up the lack allowing her the free time to accomplish some work. After years of struggling with finding that elusive concept of balance, Jen has abandoned the concept all together stating that it is an overrated idea. She prioritizes and makes to-do lists, but doesn't push herself to achieve the impossible act of "juggling on a tightrope". Things "get done".
Some of the biggest challenges Jen has faced as an Etsy shop owner aside from the CPSIA, include taking quality pictures. She is also challenged to run her business on a shoestring budget. Finding ways to promote herself without "feeling like [she's] hawking [her] heart on some virtual street corner." She is a member of several Etsy teams to help with promotions. "Probably the biggest single challenge: finding time, using it wisely, not getting overly frustrated when the time i interrupted, as it so often is."
Last month Mama's Magic Studio participated in its first craft fair and Jen had an incredible time and plans to do more. Her knitting needles were also featured in a Storque article.
Jen's family is truly the joy of her life; "without them, Mama would have no magic!". She is a published poet, an aspiring children's book writer, and she can hula hoop!

EtsyMom Team Check In

We are So Excited About the Upcoming Holiday Season! We at EtsyMom
are a Group of Strong, Wonderful Business Minded Mothers Who Work
Harder than anyone else!

We are EXCITED about Bringing all of our EtsyMOM Team Closer Together
so that at the End of a Hard Stressful Work Week you will have a Soft
Place to land to Discuss the Joy's, Accomplishments, Triumphs and yes
even Frustrations About Owning your own Business!

We hope that with over 2,000+ Members and Counting that you will Join
US in Reaching all of our Goals! How can you help you ask? By Joining Our New EtsyMom Email Group, By logging in and staying Active at Our Team board, By visiting EtsyMom Blog and
Congratulating featured sellers! We Would Love to Hear From all of you as We are
all Moms with the same Goal SALE! SALE! SALE!

We are REQUESTING that ALL Members Login to our GROUP Board and Post
to ACTIVATE your account http://z11.invisionfree.com/EtsyMom_Street_Team.

We Look forward in Getting to Know all of Our EtsyMoms!