December Give Away!

'Tis the season for giving ... so my gift to my blog readers is a 5x7 of their choice from my shop!

Simply visit jmcguinness.etsy.com and tell me which photo you like best. If you win, you'll receive your pick!

Deadline to enter is December 12.

Good luck!

P.S. Congratulations to Annette who won our Christmas card giveaway!

Holiday Shopping with the CT Etsy Team

Kirstie of the Connecticut Etsy Team has created a gift guide for the holiday season. It came out really nice! Click here to check it out!

Buy One, Get One Free Sale!

Free item must be of equal or lesser value. When checking out, please indicate in "Message to Seller" what your free item is. Valid Nov. 27 through Dec. 1.

Visit jmcguinness.etsy.com to shop. :)

Enter code BLOG READER to get an extra special freebie! :)


In addition... the CT Etsy Team is also having a sale this weekend. Click here to see a list of shops with their offers!

Holiday List

I'm going to try and do the majority of my holiday shopping on Etsy this year. I'd rather support individual artists and artisans than some big corporation.

It's always so hard to find the right gift for everyone on your list. But that's what I love about etsy... there's something for everyone on there!

For the music lover...


This fun, screen printed shirt is from Salmon Street Studio for $26.

For the dashcund lover...

This little cutie is $13 from the Ginger Card Co., and is made from EcoSpun felt, which is recycled from plastic bottles!

For the crafty one...

Woolpets offers several DIY kits for needlefelting. The one above is $18, but others vary in price between $16 and $20. And it's great for the bird lover, too!


Not sure what to give...

Who couldn't use a pretty bowl for company? Pottery is a great option when you're not sure what they'll really want for Christmas. This lovely heart bowl is $20 from Red Hot Pottery and is food, dishwasher and microwave safe!

For the die-hard journalist...


This lovely photo from MKC Photography gives a up-close look at the keys of a vintage Remington typewriter. Available in multiple sizes, this listing is for an 8x10 matted photograph for $25.

For the coworkers...

Morgan Street Soap offers delicious-looking cold process soaps, at just the right price. For $5.50 a slice, this little piece of heaven is a great option to show coworkers you're thinking about them this holiday, too.

Off to search some more!

Cards Help Bunnies :)

I'm still trying to get a grip on my inbox, and while weeding it out today, I came upon an update from Cats, Rabbits and More.

The San Luis Obispo Buns Urgently Needing Shelter (SLOBUNS) rescue group in Central California has created five greeting cards featuring rescued rabbits, with 100 percent of the proceeds going back to SLOBUNS.


That lovely little lop is one of the featured cards on the Web site. Each 5x7 card is $3.50. What a cute idea for holiday gifts!

More ACEOs :)

I've added two more ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) to my shop today.



I definitely felt motivated to upload the monarch photo today. It's SO cold in the Northeast today- when I got to work it was 27 degrees (F)! Looking at that photo helps me forget that the leaves are gone and that my hands are chapped!

Broke 10,000 words!

This NaNoWriMo has been harder for me to complete than last year's -- and I thought nothing could beat last year's! I'm still far behind, but I crossed the 10,000 word mark today. Here's the selection that helped me make that goal.

OK. Back to work. ;-)

Mom was the Take-Out Queen later in life. If they messed up her order in any way, she made sure that they knew. Did the pizza restaurant forget the free bread? She’d get back on the phone and let them know in a not-so-nice way. It was comical to get mom started –not for the person on the other end of the phone at the restaurant, of course! Before placing her order, she’d mutter that they were incompetent and mused if they would get the order right this time.

(Other people would just stop going to that restaurant. )

So even though she gave the pizza place a hard time, she had a soft spot for the owner, Greg. He’d laugh with my Dad when Dad would pick up our food order.

“Is the bread in the bag?” he called back to his staff before giving the order to Dad. “Wouldn’t want to make her upset,” he’d say with a grin as he handed the order over.

He found it funny, and after a while, it was rare if the bread was left out.

Before Mom passed away, she had ordered a special, gourmet cheese as a gift for Greg. But she passed away before she could give it to him. When the box arrived, my dad felt a bit sullen. But he drove up to the pizza restaurant, this time with no order waiting to be picked up, to drop off the cheese.

When he walked in, Greg greeted him and checked the board instinctively for the order. Dad explained it wasn’t there- that mom had passed away suddenly.

Greg didn’t know what to say as the smile disappeared from his face.

“She bought this for you,” dad offered.

In his outstretched hand, he offered the gourmet cheese.

A tear ran down Greg’s cheek.