Post-Surgery Kitty Cat

Nozomi sitting pretty with her favorite hand-crocheted afghan made by my mother-in-law Beverly's (owner of Maddie's Trinkets and Bobbles) darling late mother and a handmade pin up pillow made by my Aunt Mary Lynn...More of her original pin up pillows can be viewed in her Etsy shop LaOohLaLa Boutique.

Our sweet kitty Nozomi had surgery yesterday to remove a large stone from her bladder; she is back home today and appears to be doing well...much better than I expected! We have created a cozy home for her in a nice, big private crate (thanks to my sweet mother-in-law Beverly of Maddie's Trinkets and Bobbles for lending it to us). Nozomi loves boxes so we put one inside so she has a bed along with cushy towels, her litter box, food and water, and a sprinkle of catnip. We are giving her pain medicine as directed by the vet, and she is resting well which I think will hasten her recovery. Surprisingly, she has her usual sweet-as-can-be mood and has been dealing with this unpleasant situation so very well! If you live in the Tulsa area of Oklahoma, I highly recommend Hunters Glen Veterinary Hospital; they have been so very helpful for Nozomi's care!

I would like to take a moment and share the story behind Nozomi's unique name. One day my twin sister Andrea (owner of Storybook Artifact), Nana Sharee (co-owner of LaOohLaLa Boutique), and I were all at a local garage sale one day and our Nana noticed a sign that showed a picture of this beautiful Flame Point Himalayan cat that said "Free to Good Home". She instantly knew that both Andrea and I would want her. The house had several dogs that were not friendly to the kitty, so she quickly needed a good home. Her owner said her name was "Angel" (last name "Sunday"), which my husband Joe and I still call her "Angel" as a nickname because it doesn't only suit her angelic looks, but more her sweet personality! Anyway, Andrea first had the kitty, and she named her "Marshamella" because she thought that she looked like a toasted marshmallow! Haha! She wasn't able to keep the kitty; so I was thrilled to have her! I immediately knew the name that I wanted to give her. Being similar to an oriental Siamese cat with her markings (but I love that she has a strawberry blonde tint like my hair) and having fuzzy white angora like fur, I named her after my favorite character in a retro Japanese Dreamcast video game called Shenmue! Yes, a very unique name indeed! The young Japanese lady "Nozomi" has a very sweet personality, helps her grandmother run a flower shop, and is always seen wearing a fuzzy white turtleneck sweater. 

Transform Old Calenders and Containers into Repurposed Decoupage Gift Boxes!

Yes, these delightfully adorable homemade gifts cost only pennies to make! I upcycled an old cocoa tin and a plastic eclair container and transformed them into repurposed decoupage gift boxes ready for an endless variety of little treasures to place inside...For these Mother's Day gifts, I am going for chocolates for my favorite seasoned motherly matron and baby girl clothes for my dearest friend and new mother to a precious baby girl...I'm not naming names, but you know who you are! All I did was use my favorite trusty decoupage craft medium "Mod Podge" and I cut out some beautiful images from a darling old calender with artwork from Barbara Ann Kenney that I received from my sweet and thoughtful mother-in-law Beverly (Etsy shop owner of Maddie's Trinkets and Bobbles). The completed products remind me of cottage chic lovelies that I would expect to find in a quaint little local mom & pop brick and mortar boutique filled with feminine frills and delicious sweets!

ZzzonkOwl Etsy Shop Giveaway!

Etsy shop ZzzonkOwl is hosting a giveaway of one of their fabulously fun Etsy shop items..a cute set of owl magnets for your refrigerator, locker, or maybe a filing cabinet a work! These owl magnets are a HOOT and so CUTE! They would look so adorable on my refrigerator holding up all of my favorite pictures of my baby niece and nephew! ZzzonkOwl is only accepting entries from the United States and First Class shipping costs are covered...the prize also includes the delightful little gift tin! Click the image above to enter into ZzzonkOwl's Giveaway! 

 

My favorite item in ZzzonkOwl's Etsy shop is definitely the handmade retro pin up girl necklace; once I saw it, I just had to pin it on Pinterest! It reminds me of my darling aunt's handmade pin up girl pillows which she also sells on Etsy in her shop LaOohLaLa Boutique. This pin up girl necklace is totally flaunting some rockabilly femininity which is what my love for vintage women's fashion is ALL ABOUT!

Eco-Conscious and Patriotic Pin Up Girls!

 

Last month we sold these vintage 1950s Lady Liberty gloves in our sister shop LaOohLaLa Boutique to a woman who goes by "Miss Patriotic" on Etsy. She works at the The National WW2 Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. She searched "patriotic pin up" and found our listing...perhaps these retro lovelies will be featured in a museum exhibit! How exciting! Speaking of patriotic pin ups, this reminds me of one of my handmade upcycled decoupage iPhone cases (image shown below) found in my Eco-Friendly Freckles Etsy shop.

I also recently added some new info to my Etsy shop About Page, which tells the story of how my upcycled decoupage iphone covers came to be; which is shared here as well:

As long as I can remember, I have been interested and practically obsessed with finding ways to reuse and repurpose items that are often thrown away. A couple of years ago when I watched the documentary film "Bag It", I became even more inspired to take action and informed about the drastically harmful and hazardous effects that plastics, in particular, cause on our environment. Around this time my husband discovered a box full of brand new cell phone covers near a dumpster, all still in their original packaging; each one is made of hard plastic or synthetic rubber. He took them home to me and I have transformed them into decoupage one-of-a-kind works of art that serve a purpose for protecting cellular devices. Like my upcycled decoupage vinyl record and tin can functional art pieces, the recycled cell phone and MP3 player cases are also decoupaged with 100% recycled paper ephemera. I am also excited about starting a new line of upcycled plastic yogurt cup party favor cups for all your wedding, baby shower, birthday, and cocktail party needs!

My Upcycled Eco-Friendly Decoupage iPhone Covers Featured on the ETSY BLOG!!!

I'm a little late at sharing this on my blog but I'm still excited!!! The editor of BUST magazine and writer for Nylon, ELLE.com, Time Out New York, Daily Candy, and Etsy, Lisa Butterworth has posted her article about handmade techie accessories and she features one of my upcycled decoupage iPhone covers, as well as one of my interview quotes! 

“With the ever-changing forms of technology in iPhones, my creative expression is inspired every time a new version comes out,” says Jessica Woody of Eco-Friendly Freckles, whose decoupaged smart phone cases feature Jane Austen quotes, mod Barbies, and Victorian imagery.  

This brightened my day and is great exposure for my Etsy shop! You can check out this Etsy blog article by clicking on the picture below...

Happy Customer Reviews Make Me Smile!

Received some awesome feedback the other night for one of our vintage sixties Pontiac GTO car advertisements in LaOohLaLa Boutique...it reminds me why I enjoy providing unique vintage treasures for people looking for them! The customer wrote: "I just wanted to say thanks for the fast shipping and very well wrapped magazine ad. I wanted it because my grandfather drove this car off the assembly line and was given a stuffed tiger that we still have. He was general manager of Pontiac motors at the time of this ad. He drove several different GTOs but this was the first and he put the first five hundred miles on that exact car that's in that ad. We have looked for years for this ad. Thank you for providing something besides the tiger and the story to pass on to our grandchildren."

"Can or Can Not" Blog Feature for Eco-Friendly Freckles!!!

My hand-painted upcycled cans, repurposed vinyl record wall art, decoupage iPhone covers made from recycled ephemera, eco-conscious yogurt cup party favors, and MORE are featured on the wonderful blog "Can or Can Not"! Please check out my in depth interview and many thanks to Julie for interviewing me! It has been a pleasure; I am honored for this great opportunity and exposure for my beloved Etsy shop Eco-Friendly Freckles. Can or Can Not?!!! I think I CAN! Below is one of my favorite upcycled cans featured in the article titled "Paulie's Confession". Please also visit Julie's upcycled can inspired Etsy Shop "Can or Can Not"!