Cyber Monday

Hello followers... are you out there?  I hope so because I'm writing to let you know about the Cyber Monday sale I'm having in my Etsy shop.  By using coupon code CYBER, you can receive 15% off your purchase for TODAY ONLY.  Do it!  You know you want to!  And of course, I appreciate your business... :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/archousewares

Holiday items!

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I'm begrudgingly accepting the fact it's the capitalistic, gift-giving, becoming more insane each year "holiday season."  As much as I enjoyed the pumpkin pie last Thursday, I am having a hard time accepting it's nearly the end of November.  How did this year fly by so quickly?  I've already decided a New Year's resolution will be to focus more on creating new designs and marketing my pottery better.  I have some campaigns in mind I'd actually like to give a whirl.  We shall see what happens... anyway, I've managed to meander away from the point of this post: to show you some of the holiday items I have in my shop! 

All items are available at my Etsy site.  :)

Let the shopping frenzy begin!

Most recent project

My friends, Paul and Annie, got married in Saint Augustine, Florida last Monday.  As part of the tradition goes, there is a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.  At this dinner, Annie wanted to give gifts to the father figures in her life.  She asked me if I'd make some mugs for her.  Here they are.

Help Hurricane Sandy victims

I just received this information from my electricity provider.  Take a gander; there are many ways to help folks in need.

How to help Superstorm Sandy victims

• Red Cross: To donate, visit www.redcross.org, call 800-Red-Cross or text the word "Redcross" to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Nearly 100 Red Cross blood drives were canceled because of Sandy, so blood supplies are low in the areas affected the most. The Red Cross asks that those who can donate to schedule an appointment to give blood. The New York Blood Center is urging people to donate blood for those in the New York/New Jersey area. To donate, call 800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.
• The Salvation Army has dozens of mobile feeding units and shelters along the East Coast that are working to serve thousands in the most heavily hit areas. Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org to donate.
• Feeding America has thousands of pounds of emergency food, water and supplies in the disaster zone that it is working to distribute to the storm's victims. To donate, visit www.feedingamerica.org or call 800-910-5524.
• AmeriCares is providing medicine and other supplies to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. To donate, visit www.americares.org.
• World Vision is distributing flood clean-up kits, personal hygiene items and emergency food kits to people hit by the hurricane. To donate, visit www.worldvision.org.
• Save the Children is also working to provide relief to families and their children. Visit www.savethechildren.org to donate.  

Saint Augustine: The Oldest, Continuously-Inhabited Settlement in the US

Last weekend a group of friends and I traveled to Saint Augustine, Florida for our friends' wedding.  Most of us hadn't been to Saint Augustine before and were astounded by the city's history, sites, cuisines and drinking establishments.

Downtown historic St Augustine at sunset

Fresh squeezed lemonade & smoothies across the street from the Fountain of Youth.  Perhaps these also have restorative properties?

Entrance to the Fountain of Youth historical site

White peafowl on the Fountain of Youth grounds

Poured concrete & oyster shell gate surrounding the Fountain of Youth site

The Saint Augustine Lighthouse, built in 1871

The winding staircase to the top of the lighthouse - 219 steps in all

The grounds at the Saint Augustine Lighthouse

Self-portrait of me & the lighthouse

View from the Conch House restaurant

The pub crawl that never was at Scarlett O'Hara's

In front of the old city gates