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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Sprinkles of Magic


The idea for Sprinkles of Magic, LLC started pretty much by accident when Owner and President, Kim Nelson was sitting in her young son’s bedroom opening Christmas cards.  Kim was settling in for the night, reading stories with her son and had Christmas cards with her to open.  It was the late 80’s and confetti was very popular to include in greeting cards and some Santa confetti from one of the cards fell to the floor.  The next morning he discovered the “magic Santa Dust” and proclaimed that Santa had indeed visited in the night and had left a little bit of magic to let him know that he had been a good boy.

Kim says that at that moment she was inspired by his imagination and creativity and continued the tradition…Santa Dust has been part of the Christmas tradition in the Nelson home ever since…and the magic didn’t stop there.  With any and every opportunity, little moments were celebrated.  The tooth fairy just couldn’t leave just money, there was also a trail of Tooth Fairy Dust from the bed to the window sill where the tooth fairy had departed.  Bedtime stories were greeted with Sweet Dreams Dust and birthday celebrations always included sparkly confetti.

Kim would make magic confetti potions for friends and family.  Her Santa Dust idea was then published in First Magazine in December 2005  and decided to launch Sprinkles of Magic in January 2006 featuring Santa Dust, Tooth Fairy Dust, Sweet Dreams Dust and Fairy Dust. “I contacted a sales rep firm and they were delighted and enthusiastic to represent my product” says Kim “and Sprinkles of Magic has grown and is sold in over forty toys and gift shops across the United States.   “The first trade show was intimidating” admits Kim, “this product comes from my heart and is very personal-I wanted it to sell out of love”.

This year was big for Sprinkles as they celebrated their fifth year in business and introduced “Digits”, hand made felted finger puppets.   There are four different sing-a-long sets that were designed to allow parents to just sit and enjoy the pure magic of being with their children.   Kim says, “I realized raising my children is magical…I think that I have been tapping into my children’s  ability to find the magic of the little moments and making it my own…it’s pretty simple!”
 To view Kim's product line and for ordering information visit her website:www.SprinklesOfMagic.com

I hope you've been inspired by Kim's story. She is a dear friend of mine and is proof again that you can make your business dream happen.




~Follow Your Creative BLISS~
Sharon

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Meet Cindy Adkins

Cindy Adkins of Whimsical Musings

Cindy Adkins is a New Orleans-based artist known for her extensive mixed media work.  “I love working with texture, whether it is with vintage images, soy silk, layered paper, fibers, or embroidery.  Every day presents an opportunity to incorporate new materials and that adds to the excitement of this process.  In addition, I enjoy up-cycling and repurposing.”
Following Hurricane Katrina, Adkins gained attention for her 6-month project that is a tribute to the people of the New Orleans area who have gone through the recovery process.  “The survivors have risen from the ashes and I wanted to make individual pieces to honor their resilience and celebrate the human spirit.  When the project was completed, my work was featured in 2 one-woman art exhibits.  Now the pieces are displayed across the community at various sites.  They are my  gift to the community to help in the healing process.”  

“Since I completed that pivotal project, my subsequent work went into art galleries and I opened an online store.  Everything I do is with a great deal of enthusiasm and that is what I feel is essential for success in any endeavor, “ she said.
“I have met the nicest people during this journey.  Whatever work someone is pursuing, I think it is essential to connect with others and not work in isolation. If people are shy, it’s important to nudge themselves out of their comfort zone because I honestly believe that everyone likes being helpful.  They never know who might be willing to help them.   Each day brings greater awareness, knowledge, and contacts.” 
Adkins holds a Master’s Degree in Humanities.  She is on 3 design teams, including one that is connected to the United Nations.  She feels that her background in the field of humanities gives her a broader outlook that she brings to her own work.  “Often, those aspects of  classic and modern art, music, and literature are encapsulated in various pieces and it is always with a touch of  whimsy.”

“We each have different gifts to share.  I honestly believe that when you are aligned with your life’s purpose, everything falls into place.”


Thank you so much!
Cindy



~Follow Your Creative BLISS~ 
 Sharon

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Meet Vintage Susie



Susie Hibdon is a child of the 50's & all that implies. She is nostalgic, sentimental & a keeper of the past. A Southern California native, Susie has a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter & a grand-son who fills her with joy. She went to college for Interior Design & has put that knowledge to work in the many passions of her life. She previously owned Lambs & Ivy Boutique in Crestline, CA, an antique/baby boutique that she ran for 6 years, has an on-line Graphic Design business, vintagesusie Custom Design, specializing in blog design, magazine ads & print work.  

She has recently launched a new line of Handmade Vintage Spoon Jewelry called 'SPOONIN' and was published in the 2011 Summer issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.


Her tag-line for her blog is 'Let's Fly', wanting to inspire & be inspired by all her friends & followers to learn to be fearless, to learn how to live an authentic, creative life & to ultimately be brave enough to follow their passion & make all their dreams come true.

Follow Susie's blog or contact her for custom blog design at: VintageSusieandWings.blogspot.com




~Follow Your Creative BLISS~ Sharon

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Terry Grahl of Enchanted Makeovers

Terry Grahl- CEO 

It is with great pleasure that I share the story of Enchanted Makeovers with you. Terry has done something so beautiful and it all began with her following her heart. As you can imagine living in a shelter would present many challenges and Terry and her team have made life in a shelter more comfortable, more cozy and more cheerful for dozens of women and children. Let's help her continue improving the lives of our neighbors. You can make donations at www.enchantedmakeovers.org



Terry founded Enchanted Makeovers (EM) in 2007, and has been on an extraordinary journey ever since.  She creates the vision for the organization, and pours her heart and soul into every last detail, from makeovers to programs to events to strategic planning. Terry is an award-winning decorator who's creativity, child-like innocence, and whimsy is reflected throughout the mission. Terry was named People Magazine and MLB's "All-Star Among Us" in 2010 out of 7,500 nominations nationwide. Within a week she was standing on the Los Angeles Angels Baseball field watching as celebrity Sheryl Crow presented a video on her non-profit at the MLB All-Star game in California.

She's been featured in dozens of outlets both online, in print and television, such as Woman's World, Better Homes and Gardens Quilts & More, Martha Stewart, Country Almanac, Paint Magic, People Magazine, Cottages & Bungalows, Ladies Home Journal and Oprah Winfrey Show. Most importantly, she's a wife, mother to four wonderful children, and a passionate woman on a mission to inspire people to dream while they are awake, follow their heart, and to see each other truly as an extension of one's self. www.enchantedmakeovers.org

 
~Follow Your Creative BLISS~ 
Sharon

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Dream BIG!

Dream BIG! 
And why shouldn't You
The sky's the limit really isnt a cliche. 
Your dreams define you, Be you!



~Follow Your Creative BLISS~ 

XO~Sharon