Choose to spread JOY

How about taking what you about kindness and applying it to your everyday life? Not for any gain other than knowing that you made someone else happy. Being selfless is something human beings have a hard time with, so I am challenging us all to pick one moment a day to devote a selfless act to someone else. It could be paying for someone else’s groceries in line at the store, or telling a funny joke to someone sad, hug a random person on the street, but once a day do something selfless. It will inspire others to do the same and what goes around come back around, we just need to make the joy cycle a never – ending one. There are so many ways to spread happiness on this Earth: create an inspiring flyer, make stickers to spread your message, write a blog about something inspiring, but do something to put positive energy back into this world.
As humans we have only each other communicate happiness in this way. Don’t forget that everyone else around you is just as human, with the same thoughts and emotions. Often when someone appears angry it is because they are in turmoil or have trouble in their lives. Take the time to break down human barriers that we put between ourselves, go right up to that stranger and tell them that whatever they are going through it will pass. Make someone smile every day that you are given on this Earth and remember that it is memories of ourselves that we leave behind, make them happy ones, spread joy any way every day!

Valentines find! (Etsy feature)

So you all know how much I love Etsy.com, and I happened to be browsing around on their site when I found Urban Raven a shop that sells go cycled jewelry made from odds and ends, most of which has some kind of amazing postage stamp included in the design. These on of a kind pieces are made by Shiran Tal in Israel and her positive attitude reflects in her work. She says she loves to discover new ways to work with materials and shape them into how she wants them to look. (Which she says isn’t always an easy task), but her creations are a thing of beauty and so of course I had to share them with the world! Shiran also makes custom orders, which you can request directly from her etsy site. I love the idea of a custom order in any shop but especially one that already makes such unique creations. To learn more about Urban Raven you can go here : https://www.etsy.com/shop/UrbanRaven/about?ref=announce . The site is small, but with the selections available and the option for a custom order there is enough style to go around! Don’t forget to check out the rings she makes because they are extra fun! Visit Urban Raven here : https://www.etsy.com/shop/urbanraven . You can give her a shout on from her site, make an order, learn more about Shiran, or just look around on Etsy. Enjoy!

Tappin’ it..

The Simpsons tapped out is a freemium game. Free to download and play, but with purchases that you can make in the game to enhance your gameplay. The donuts in the game are what costs money, and without them you do miss out on some cool stuff, but what you get free is still totally worth playing for. I myself am a player at level 43. I have been playing for a little over a year and so far have gained about forty characters and tons of free items just for playing. They give friend points in the game for clicking on houses in your friends town each day, so far I’ve won five friend point prizes just for clicking! The Simpsons is so popular because of the references to the show in the game. You get the actual buildings, characters, and even pets from the series in your own town. The characters can make you money when you send them on “quests” and you buy land expansions, houses, and other things that the game explains along the way. By far the best character has been the shows creator Matt Groening. He comes into the game late but the interaction between homer and himself is priceless.

When you start, you have literally nothing but trash from a nuclear waste fallout, Homer cleans up the waste and you get to building Springfield back into existence. You find characters along the way as you’re building your town and they help you out, while complaining a bit. Soon your town starts to look like it could actually be a place to go. A sense of accomplishment washes over you, comfort knowing that you’re an amazing game player. Miraculously you did it all without having to spend any of your hard earned cash unless you just wanna. I hope more people start playing it really is an awesome game. Just look at what your town can be!

So go now to your local app store/center and download The Simpsons Tapped Out, start tapping, and feel the smile that’s on your face…..you’re welcome 🙂

Up-cycled fork bracelets that will amaze you.

John Marchello is from Ann Arbor, Michigan and he spends a lot of his time crafting stunning pieces of jewelry from old silver forks and spoons. He makes bracelets, rings, and art out his repurposed stock, and has sold almost 12,000 of his creations on Etsy. How truly inspiring is it that he can take some so simple and make you think about it for days just with a glance? My breath was truly taken away when I read that these beautiful bracelets were being made from average forks. The best part is, its affordable! His creations range in price from $20 to $100 and are worth every cent. No doubt I will be owning one as soon as humanly possible and it will be something that I cherish for a long time. It isn’t often that someone is so insanely creative, and John has taken it to the next step. I think one of his spoon rings would be perfect for a promise ring! Of course you know I had to include a link so you guys can go order for yourselves! Here is his shop link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarchelloArt

Current Country

Ryan Lee is a native of the small town of Cherokee Village , Ar. He has spent most of his life on country back roads and in creeks up to his knees, so when he said his dream was to sing country music, there wasn’t much surprise from the people around home. The question seemed to be whether or not he would succeed as a country music artist. “A lot of people have told me it’s never gonna happen” he says, but in the past couple years he is slowly but surely proving them wrong. He has a new hit single that he has debuted on not just one but two radio stations. The single is called “Don’t let this moment pass”, its a duet sang by Ryan Lee and Alison Heath, a Missouri native who lent her inspiring vocals to the track and made it into the well rounded song that its become. Ryan says “Alison has a great voice, we were both so excited to sing this song together, and she just takes it to a whole new level and really makes it great”. Ryan also has a solo single called “Chains” which he says is one of the songs closest to his heart. He can’t say everything that he has going on, but he is a liberty to say that he is only going up from here. You can stop by Ryan’s Facebook page and give him a like by going to : https://m.facebook.com/RyanHammArtist . (Lee is his middle name) I am really looking forward to more music from him in the future, make sure we show him some support guys! Good luck Ryan.

Here is the link to Ryan Lee’s sound cloud page, where you can hear both of the singles I’ve mentioned. : https://m.soundcloud.com/ryan_hamm/ryan-lee-dont

https://soundcloud.com/streamSoundcloud

Printed Beauty

Joan Han is a photographer from Toronto, Canada, I noticed one of her flower prints as I was thumbing through Twitter and her stunning peonies took my breath away. She plays around with some fantastic colors in her collections, which are mostly of nature and landscapes. Joans photography exudes life, the petals of the flowers she captures on camera seem to breath air and flow together beautifully. You could take any one of her photos and put it against another and though they are dramatically different, they  all compliment each other in an exciting yet subtle way. The contrasts of light against the flowers and trees in her photos makes her work easy to love. When I saw these the first thing I thought was, where can I get them? And the next was where would I put them? Well I can picture them brightening up just about any room in my home, and possibly even an office area. As to where I could purchase them, I has to go to the source, and this is where Joan says you can buy h beauties : http://joanhan.artistwebsites.com and that’s not the only place you can contact her, you can also find her o Facebook here : https://m.facebook.com/JoanHanPhotography?_rdr and on Twitter : @Jhanphotography . The best part is, not only can you get prints for wall decor, you can also buy greeting cards (under$10) and phone cases! (Around $40) Totally worth it because these photographs are so great! Be sure to check Joan out and put your order in for an amazing peonies cellphone case.

Deadly Serious

Want to get a peak at the hitter new girl in the comic world? Then head on over to : http://www.deadlycrimson.com/ where you can find Crimson, a deadly ex lab worker turned super being, and she is kicking some major comic villain butt. Her main antagonist is the big boss of the the lab who’s experimentation turned her into a superhuman. Crimson is a wife, mother, and vigilante who must face evil to save her family. Deadly Crimsons dead pan comedy teams well with its ability to make fun of the campiness that come with the comic book world.

The creators are Travis Cheney and Melissa LeEllen, he is a well known screen play writer, and she is a producer,entrepreneur, and has even acted along side Sandra Bullock. Combine them with G.David Cooper,a very talented illustrator, and you can’t lose! They are still trying to get the comic funded fully, but with or without funding I have no doubt that Deadly Crimson is going to do well for itself and stand up against other comics of its genre. It is drawn much like the Grand Theft Auto Games and it is automatically relatable and has a familiar feel looking through its pages. I have included more fabulous photos for you to view and if you want to help them get funded you can do so here : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/362191702/deadly-crimson?ref=discovery and don’t forget to check out Crimsons website!

Launch forward in fashion

New York has always been one of the biggest fashion hubs in America. They host fashion week every year, and there are always the trendiest people walking the buzzing city streets. Its easy for desires to gain inspiration just by looking out the windows of their studio apartments. So who is the next big designer? Who is setting trends and taking names? The answer is Susan Young… the creator of Launch, ready to wear fashions that she makes using her own textiles and designs. Her overall sale is iconic, relating to the 60′ and 70’s era in a way that also speaks to right now. Her creations are beautiful and she puts a lot of love into her work, stating that her fashion are a “mixture of art and fuction”. I fell in love with her collection for 2015 and found out that she is funding it through Kickstarter, hoping to succeed in time for this years fall season. If you would like to learn a little more about this seasons collection, visit her Kickstarter page : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247261131/launch-by-susan-youngs-fw15-collection-needs-your?ref=discovery. To get in contact with the designer herself (who by the way is very nice) you can go to her website at : http://www.launchbysusanyoung.com/ check out some of these designs and make sure to click over to her site and give her plenty of positive feedback and support!

B.B. Kings Blues Club in Memphis

For those who have never been to Memphis’s Beale street, you’re missing out on some of the best BBQ nachos that I personally have ever tasted. When you walk in to B.B. Kings Blues Club the first thing that hits you is blues history. The pictures of musicians past and sounds of chatter from the street and bar are as intoxicating as the smell of the BBQ that makes your mouth water instantly. The decor is dimly but invitingly lit and carved woodwork makes up the seating in the entire restaurant. Of course, it is Beale street and you can get alcoholic beverages served in a signature B.B. King Club glass. The names of the drinks behind the bar make you want to go in for a Motown Margarita. The best thing about the club (besides the nachos) is the awesome wait staff. They take care of you so well and our server had a wonderful attitude. All in all it was a great experience and I recommend getting to Memphis ASAP to get you some good B.B. Kings Club BBQ!

Here is the website: http://www.bbkingclubs.com

For the Artsy

   

Looking through my twitter feed I happened across an amazing digital artist, David Bridburg (@davidbridburg). I was looking through his website: http://www.bridburg.com and he explains that he uses Photoshop to “shape, shade, and configure several images into artwork”. And he does an amazing job! So I got in touch with him and found out about http://fineartamerica.com a website that allows artists to sell their artwork and prints, and the site is crazy easy to navigate. Most of the prints I saw featured to purchase were also inexpensive which is a huge plus, most were under $20!
  So of course after I found out about David I had to share, digital artistry is far too under rated, though it is proving itself to be the art of this generation. I really love David’s website, as well as fine art america, both prove to be worth the look around….hint hint readers, get on the web and get browsing because you can find some incredible artwork.

David Bridburg