Recycled Packaging

A few days ago I received my package from http://www.katsinthebelfry.etsy.com/. Kat is one of my NaturalKids team mates. Sadly, she lost her mother recently, so the whole team chipped in and bought items at her lovely shop to help her family pay for the trip to her mom's funeral. I am so proud to be on this awesome and very supportive team!

I LOVED the upcycled packaging/envelope my purchase, a cool pouch, came in. Who knew that an old papersack could have so much charme? I really like the images of old cars, explorers, and inventors. Now I just need to find a Trader Joe's store or some other store that has cool papersacks...

Maybe the papersack I received my fabric in from the Fancy Tiger will work. I am looking forward to making my own recycled envelope soon..

Etsy Friends Portrait II: Beccijo - Little Sister

I remember my seventh grade German teacher all too well. Her name was Frau Sieben (Mrs. Seven- really!). Every week we had to write an essay about a topic. The following Monday Frau Sieben would come back with three essays in hand. Not naming the respective author, she would first read the worst essay, the one that received a failing grade, out loud to the class. Then she’d move on to the middling essay, the essay that received a C. Last she would hand the best essay, the one that got an A, to the student who wrote it, and make that student read it out aloud in front of the class.

We would all sit there in fear hoping that our essay would not be read out aloud, to be snickered at and ridiculed by the class. Of course, everyone would look around trying to guess whose crappy essay was read. Was someone blushing over there? Sound like the dark Middle Ages of education to you? I sure hope things have changed in German education! Only one time that year did I received an A and was picked to read my essay to the class. That week’s assignment was to write about a family member. I chose to write an essay about my little sister. Growing up in a household with 4 sisters can be a challenge at times. To say the least, I was not always getting along with my sisters. Being number 4 of the lot, I was often jealous of my youngest sister. She stole my spot of being in the limelight coming along 4 years later. Yet, in writing this essay about “Meine Kleine Schwester “ I learned a lot. I realized how much I loved her, despite the jealousy and anger I often felt towards her. As it turns out, of all my sisters, I am closest to my youngest sister, and I have the strongest bond with her these days…

Now what exactly does this have to do with my etsy team? Due to the nature of our profession, which is ruled by female crafters, we are mostly a team made up of women. Our team is like a big family with lots of sisters… Sara, or Woolies, I like to think of as a big, wise, older sister. Beccijo I see as a little sister. I am not really sure why. Maybe it’s because she joined the family later. I don’t really know her age for sure, but I feel she is a lot younger than me. Full of positive energy and the fearlessness of youth, she immediately became a leading member of our team. Beccijo runs our NaturalKids Website with her husband Wade! We are so grateful for that!
I often wonder how she finds the time to do so much work for our team, raise 4 kids, and to make the most amazing wooden play sets and little painted people. Does she ever sleep?

Go check out her store and lovely blog

http://www.theenchantedcupboard.etsy.com/
http://www.thereluctantcitydweller.blogspot.com/
and take a look around. Planning on a wedding? You will find unforgettable cake toppers – hand painted – to look like you and your spouse to be.

Meet Sara - My Etsy Friend - Woolies

Being an immigrant in America is not easy. Never was and never will be. Just read some novels. I had read plenty of them before I moved to the US in 1996. I knew what I was getting myself into. Why, oh why, did I do this? Like many immigrants before me, I was getting depressed after living here for a few months.

I think anyone, who has moved to a new place, understands this feeling of being cut off from your family, friends, and home. But when you are an immigrant, the pain is multiplied by being cut off from your culture and language.

I traded the big city lights of Berlin for the not so well-lit streets of small town America. Every Christmas I’d run off to Germany and say to my husband: “I hate it here. I want to go back to Germany.” I had a hard time making friends. I felt the looks of people saying:”Here she comes, the oddball German with her accent and strange view of the world.” I felt terribly isolated.

I believe, it was in the spring of 2008, when I first stumbled upon a thread in the etsy forum. In this thread I met Sara – or Woolies. My husband thought it was crazy when I told him one evening that I had to go online to “talk” to my etsy friends. What do you mean by etsy friends? Who are these people? You have never met them. - Yes, I have!

It’s a funny thing about the internet. You may never see, hear the voice, smell, or touch a person – yet you can meet them and feel close to them just the same. You may even get to know them better than your next door neighbor…
On that memorable thread I met Sara – or Woolies – as the team members all lovingly refer to her. She has two esty shops. My favorite is of course: http://www.woolies.etsy.com/ .When you are having a bad day, you may want to take a look at her creations: Knitted, stuffed, warm, and fuzzy animals.
Sara has always been the person I could turn to when I was having a rough day – comforting - like a stuffed animal friend to a child. Does that sound weird? It's even better to have someone you can talk to about your troubles (on and off-line) who will talk back to you! Thanks so much for being there, Sara!
I learned a lot of things about Sara. I know she lives in Arizona and loves horses. Hence I added pictures of her real and knitted horses to this post. I know that she loves her family very much, and works in advertising. I know of her daily struggles and worries about money and the kids future. We have even visited on the phone. Since she has never been able to come over for dinner, I asked her what her favorite food was: She said ice cream.

I hope someday we can go out for an ice cream together…

Please, check out her two lovely shops on etsy. And don't forget to stop by her blog and leave a comment!

http://woolies-woolies.blogspot.com/