Valentines day.....a time for Love!

With valentines day quickly approaching I am reminded that love is in the air!  So many of us celebrate V-Day in one way or another, though it does seem that many have mixed feelings about it, depending upon whether or not they have a sweetheart. Well I say fooey on that, you don't need to have a sweetie to revel in the magic of the day.
When I was a child I use to make hand painted valentine cards and give them to my family and friends. I remember the utter joy I had creating them and then seeing people light up when they received them. To this day I still send out valentine cards to family and friends and in this way I am sending my love out to those I love and care about, not just to my sweetheart.
 
With all of these thoughts of love in mind,  I am also reminded of compassion and the importance of practicing this daily. I would like to take this opportunity to say that my heart goes out to the people of Haiti during this time of unimaginable sadness. I believe it is so important for people around the world to help the people in Haiti and now is the time to do so. Below is a list of stellar relief organizations where you can make donations. If you have already done so, the people of Haiti thank you!

Disaster relief organizations:
www.MercyCorp.org
www.OxFam.org
www.redcross.org
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

" Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

- Dalai Lama

OMG......it's a Valentine giveaway!!!

The reason for the omg, is that I have totally ignored my blog since Sept, as in I did no blogging whatsoever since then. However I'm planning to get back into it more often, as time allows. To celebrate my return back to blog land I am giving away a lovely pair of vintage earrings.

GIVEAWAY!!
Up for grabs is this lovely pair of vintage faceted red glass earrings!
they are sparkling and pretty and perfect for Valentine's day!

To enter to win, please leave a comment in the box stating your favorite thing about valentines day!
For extra entries:
blog about this giveaway
post this giveaway on twitter

Drawing will be held on Sun Jan 24th!


Ruby Red Earrings by Botanical Bird

Some things I love about Fall!

Here in Oregon we have a pretty down right spectacular fall, since we have hundreds of varieties of deciduous trees here, including many varieties of gorgeous maples. The leaves are just starting to change and there is now a bit of a chill in the air, along with the site of local apple trees laden with apples.
It's such a great time of year, though I do find it to be bittersweet, knowing that we will be going into our rainy season before too long. Still I am embracing the fall and plan to do some decorating this week!
Here are a few ideas that I've come up with for easy and inexpensive Fall decorating:

Candles are always a must for this time of year, I like to use a variety of pillar candles, the apple, spice or pumpkin scented are perfect at this time. I place them on plates or tray and then surround them with moss, pine cones,pods cinnamon sticks, mini pumpkins or other fruit. This really makes for a gorgeous, fragrant display!


Wreaths are another favorite of mine, last Spring toward the end of the blooming season I cut back my hydrangea bush and dried the blossoms to be used in bouquets and a wreath. All you need for this wreath is a grapevine wreath, dried hydrangea blossoms and a hot glue gun. You simply just glue the hydrangea stems all the way around the wreath and you're done. It can be displayed on your wall or a door.

Pumpkins and gourds, always fun and festive! I like to buy a few in different sizes, the smaller ones to be used as a table display, along with a colorful table runner and the larger ones for the front entryway display.

Pillow and throws will help spice up any room, it's fun to add a nice fall colored throw to your couch along with a couple of seasonal throw pillows, this is really an inexpensive way to make a quick and beautiful change to your room.

FRIDAY FREEBIES!! JULY 31ST!!

FRIDAY FREEBIES ARE BACK!!! TODAY JULY 31ST!!

1 Free necklace, your choice ($20 value or less) when you spend $40 or more,
2 Free necklaces, your choice ($40 value or less) when you spend $70 or more

PLEASE CLICK HERE BOTANICAL BIRD'S STORE

Colorful, Pretty Flowers

Here are some gorgeous flowers and plants to check out. All of these shots were taken on my recent trip to the coast...enjoy!!

1. Acalypha (chenile plant)
2. Gloxinia siningia (gloxinia)
3. Cosmos Bipinnatus (cosmos)
4. Papaver (poppy)
5. Digitalis (foxglove)

Handcrafted Jewelry...For American Cancer Society

Here are some very cool pieces from Laura Slocum. Her beautiful work can be found at one of her two stores on Etsy. Laura Slocum Painted or Creatively Tangled

Laura is a dear friend of mine and a fellow etsy artist. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few months ago and is currently undergoing chemo therapy treatments. She is amazingly brave and is a shining star, and for sure an inspiration to so many. You can read all about Laura, by going to her shop or by going to her blog which is called Stay Tuned 09

CHECK OUT LAURA'S BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY!! PROCEEDS DONATED TO HELP FIGHT CANCER!!
(please click on one of the links above)

Upcoming outdoor markets!

Hey Portlander's,
This post is to announce my upcoming outdoor shows. I hope you will stop by and say hello!
I will be having a couple of giveaways for various necklaces from my store.
I'd love to see you there!

First show is at: Multnomah Days
date: Aug 15th, 2009
Time: 10:00-4:00
Place: Multnomah village, capitol hwy (I'll be set up near Starbucks)

Second show: Belmont Street fair
date: Sept 12th, 2009
Time: 10:00-5:00
Place: on Belmont st. between 33rd-35th ( don't have my exact location yet)

Seattle's Pike Place Market

Hot town summer in the city!!!
I just had to say that, Seattle was really all that for me during my recent trip there. Fun, fun, fun are three words that come to mind. I just went on a mini vacation there for 3 days. I rode the train, it's a quick 3.5 hour trip from Portland to Seattle. The train depot in Seattle is close to the heart of downtown, so very convenient if you're staying in the downtown area.
All of the pictures here were taken at Pike Place market, which is a world class farmers & artisans market. This fabulous market boasts a myriad of delights, including, the freshest seafood you can buy, bakeries, coffee shops galore, rows and rows of fresh produce, herbs and flowers, along with artisan crafts from A-Z!
If you are in Seattle, this place is really a must see, and please allow yourself at least 4 hours to really explore, as this market is huge!
I have had an ongoing fantasy about renting a place near this market just for the summer, so that I might immerse myself in the colorful, eclectic world that is Pike place market!

Giveaway & Feature on Rainbowswirlz blog!!

Hi all here is another fun giveaway along with some pics and a little write up about my daily routine. You will need to go to Rainbowswirlz blog, click on the link below.

CHECK OUT RAINBOWSWIRLZ BLOG HERE!

GIVEAWAY NECKLACE

BOTANICAL BIRD 3 DAY SALE!!

BOTANICAL BIRD SALE!!

3 DAY SALE!! FRI-SUN JUNE 5TH-7TH
10% OFF ALL ORDERS OF $30 OR MORE
20% OFF ALL ORDERS OF $100 OR MORE

A GREAT TIME TO SAVE AND STOCK UP ON SOME LOVELY JEWELRY FOR SUMMER OR ANYTIME!

The discounted amount will be refunded to your account, contact me for details.

BOTANICAL BIRD'S STORE

BOTANICAL BIRD WILL BE SELLING AT UPCOMING CRAFTS SHOW

Hey Portlanders!
I am excited to announce that I will be showing and selling my jewelry at an upcoming arts & crafts show in Portland, Oregon!! There will be a range of artists and crafters participating. The show is on a Sunday evening, there will be music, food and drink, so come check it out, what a fun way to spend a Sunday evening!

DATE: MAY 31ST
TIME: 4-8 PM
PLACE: CAPITOL COFFEE HOUSE & BISTRO
ADDRESS; 6446 SW CAPITOL HWY