Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sugar and Spice/photography




My sister-in-law Joia, might be the most creative person I know with hands on crafty-type things. The things she comes up with are just AMAZING. She makes handmade cards for practically every occasion. These are not fold a piece of paper in half and write happy birthday type cards. These are amazingly complex and beautiful cards with her own tagline on the back "EnJOIAble cards" as a play off her name.

Another example of her creativity is this. She had a very crowded basement and she wanted to make a craft area. She cleaned it out (that would be where my expertise stopped-I can organize and declutter with the best of them but that is IT!) and then decided her creative area was not speaking to her. So, she just "came up with this" out of mid air: check out the post she did about it with before and after pictures HERE . Amazing.

So, keeping in line with her incredible creativity, she has started a business and a blog to go with that business called Sugar and Spice, Tutus Etc by Joia. She is handcrafting and selling these adorable tutus, butterfly wings, headbands and I am sure there is MUCH more to come. Check it out and order something if you feel so inclined. I will be heading up there next week so if anyone wants something, but doesn't want to pay shipping, let me know and I can get it for you and you can save $$ on shipping!

Joia also has a dessert blog that has some great recipes with lots of pictures and step by step instructions. EnJOIAble desserts, etc.


A tie in the creativity department would be my cousin Denise. She designed my blog, plus 4, yes 4, of her own blogs that she keeps running simultaneously. Oh, and let's not forget she has 4-year-old TRIPLET boys that she is an amazing stay-at-home too. I am in awe of these women that are related to me. :) Denise has been an amazing couponer/deal finder long before I started. She inspired me to start this money saving life I live now so thanks Denise!!! Poor girl has never lived near a CVS so she can't expend her full money saving energy, but one day I am hoping they build one near her!! :)

Denise is creative in every way, but especially when it comes to design. She has designed countless things for me including garage sale stickers. I have a lot of garage sales so she designed these adorable little tags. 12 of them fit on a 4 x 6 print so I signed up for CVS photo and as a new customer I got 50 free prints which gave me 600 garage sale tags. I can send you the jpg for that I believe if you are interested. Just post a comment with your e-mail address. You can still get the 50 free prints from CVS photo by signing up HERE.

She has also designed wedding invitations, birthday cards, Christmas cards, birth announcements...the list is endless. Her design blog is "For you by Dee" HERE.

Now, as if that wasn't enough?!? She has started a photography business. I am so thrilled about this one because she takes really awesome pictures. She has had her triplets as her guinea pigs for four years and takes the BEST pictures of them, but now she is going to share her talent with the rest of us. Unfortunately, she can't travel around the country to take pictures of everyone, but for those of you who live in Tennessee, you might be able to make it happen. Her new photography blog is Denise Slater Photography. Go check it out and see how great she is. :)

If you ever want to come back to these sites later, I will have a link to every one of them on the right hand side of my blog.

3 comments:

denise said...

AWE! You are SOOO SWEET!!! Thank you so much for your complimentary post. I love you!

Joia said...

Thanks from me too - this was soo thoughtful - and you made us sound amazing! =0)

♥mary♥ said...

So while all these kudos are being passed around, I have to say that somehow these creative juices must have skipped a generation. My creative ability is about as big as my baby finger, so I can take no recognition here….

I’ve been trying for 2 weeks to get an idea for a FREE Shutterfly album and NOT one thing has come to fruition – and it expires TODAY. =(


I’m adding to your kudos. I’m so thankful that you all are blessed with your expertise and originality. Keep up the GREAT work you 3!!! ♥♥♥