Loretta The Lobster

My Loretta the Lobster Key Fob made it into a treasury list yesterday thanks to nvblondie. Check out her shop for handmade crochet goods~ just in time for the cooler weather here!
Below is the attractive navy and pink themed collection she came up with:






















Loretta is joined in my shop by quite a few BRAND NEW key fobs! Just click on the image to go to my shop and see a wider selection of key fobs.

Think Pink

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month educates women about the importance of early detection. More and more women are getting mammograms to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages. As a result, breast cancer deaths are on the decline. Encourage the women in your life to get mammograms on a regular basis. For more information visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

So to help promote awareness, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING during the month of October!
http://maggiesuedesigns.etsy.com

Friday Favorites: Ladybugs

Ladybugs. Love 'em!
And apparently so do these people (from top left):
1. Lillianna Marie Designs
2. Patchwork People Pins
3. The Glass Menagerie
4. Butterfly Mosaics
5. The Leather Prince
6. ajoydesigns
7. Ladybug Labels
8. Atlantis Designs
9. Jenn Ski Art
10. Evelyn X Designs
11. The Pendant Factory
12. Gloindream Polymer Things

Animal Lovers: Please Read This

The Shelter Pet Project has just launched! In an effort to save the lives of the three million healthy and treatable dogs and cats who are euthanized in animal shelters each year, this national public service advertising campaign encourages animal lovers to make shelters the first place they turn to when adding a pet to their family. The Shelter Pet Project is a collaborative effort between The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie's Fund, and the Ad Council, in partnership with the entire animal welfare community.

There is a common misconception that there is something wrong with shelter pets. But think about what would happen to a dog whose owner is going to jail for fraud...Or a cat whose owners go through a nasty divorce...Or a dog whose owner leaves him on the side of the road? It's a sad fact, but these pets end up at animal shelters through no fault of their own. Beginning very recently, several humorous Public Service Advertisements created pro-bono by Draftfcb Chicago, which aim to break down negative stereotypes associated with shelter pets, have hit the airwaves across the country. You can watch the commercials now and even find a shelter pet of your own at The Shelter Pet Project's website, www.theshelterpetproject.org!

So come explore the website and test out the Pet Personals, a matchmaking tool that uses the Petfinder.com database to identify local shelter and rescue pets that fit your lifestyle. Also, play around with the Adopt-A-Gram, an interactive e-card that you can send to friends and family to encourage them to adopt a pet, too!



If you live in the Loudoun County, VA area like me, please check our local shelter for some wonderful animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, and more!

Back to Blogging and a Wednesday Welcome: Glass In The Hand

Each week I'm using Etsy's Pounce feature in order to discover new items "from undiscovered shops waiting for their first sale" as the Etsy site states. This week's welcome is extended to A Glass in the Hand of Brick, New Jersey. This shop is run by a mother and daughter team. Their hand painted glassware can be personalized at no charge, and you can often choose your own colors and themes. These would make great gifts for so many different occasions, just use your imagination!

The Life You Save May Be Your Own

Sounds dramatic, right? But when it comes to prevention and early detection of breast cancer, a bit of drama is warranted if it will bring attention to this topic!
Today I went for my annual screening mammogram. It took less than 15 minutes which was faster than in the past; it turns out that the radiology center near me invested in a digital machine since my visit last May. I can't say I enjoyed the whole experience, but the slight discomfort is worth knowing that I'm doing what I can to help myself.
This post is intended to help others by serving as a reminder to perform your own monthly self breast exams and to follow the recommended guidelines from the National Cancer Institute (yes, I used to work there!):

• Women age 40 and older should have mammograms every 1 to 2 years.
  
  
• Women who are at higher than average risk of breast cancer should talk with their health care providers about whether to have mammograms before age 40 and how often to have them.

To learn how to do a self-breast exam, you can click HERE to see instructions with illustrations from the Mayo Clinic.
For more information about risk factors for breast cancer, click HERE to visit the NCI fact sheet for screening mammograms.
Remember, the life you save may be your own!

Thank You

Today I'm sending out a THANK YOU to Andrea at Kitch for featuring me on her Inspired by Etsy blog! This is actually a belated thanks because I was also on her DC Lovin' board on April 27th. Hopefully she understands that a belated thank you from me is no less sincere than an on-time thank you!
Here is a photo of today's CREST board showing my Morning Glory Everyday Bag in the upper left corner and one of my fabric note cards in the top center position:



















And the one from April which shows a set of my magnets in the upper left corner: