So Long Billy!

On the Brooklyn Heights Promenade


We've had the pleasure of hosting little Billy McDollar last week. We had been waiting with glee for some time, when our day finally came! He arrived in a 9x5 box with his suitcase, journal, disposable camera and a gift for us: A florida key chain with a twirling $100 bill :)

The cats took to him immediately, giving him the royal sniff down. I gave him a seat nearest the window to get him acclimated to brooklyn at large.

The following is a picture journey of our week with Billy.

**Scroll to the end to find out how you can enter to win all the goodies Billy has picked up along his journey across the country!!**



Billy making friends with the FDNY



Billy being a daredevil



Billy takes the bus!



Billy visits the former home of Truman Capote



Hot chocolate and Jacque Torres



Billy at the Fulton Ferry State Park



Billy scooting through DUMBO


Find out more about Billy at his blog, Travel with Billy. You can enter there for a chance to win his findings from the U.S.!!

Etsy Pets

(Tala and her little bird from veganmichele)


Sometimes I get lost in the luminous, inspiring images on Flickr :) I'm a member of a zillion photo sharing groups and have only recently taken the time to really go through each one, seeing what they're all about. One of my absolute favorites that I perused this weekend was Etsy Pets.



(Puck from wolfrowanwood)


It's a lovely little group dedicated to the furry, scaly and finny in our lives! I highly recommend checking it out! You can also check out the plethora of others that I'm enlisted in here. And while you're there, let's be friends!

Here are a few of my favorites:



guess who had a bath? from giolou



Beta & Mom from shesewslovely



out! from Brooke Medlin {gemmafactrix}



Perry from ShellVergel



mr. katinka naps with seven cats. from KatinkaPinka



King! from King's Jelly



Guilty from island_costumes



Tiny little Toad from Duffy Designs



Have a wonderful week!

*FEATURED ARTIST of the week* ~~EverydayMoments~~

EverydayMoments



1. What do you create?

Fine Art Photographs or as my business card says ‘Funky Art Prints for your Abode’ :).

2. What led you to take up your craft?

My boyfriend and I bought a very nice camera 2 years ago when we sold our house. We bought it with the intention of opening up our own photography studio. I actually wanted to do this then but I had never heard of Etsy and really didn’t know how to begin as far marketing my photography as art, etc. So we kind of gave up on it and he started working as a graphic artist and I took a job working for a photography company. But then I discovered Etsy and I decided to pursue what I had originally wanted to do.

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?

Hmmm, that’s a hard one, I love all aspects of doing this. I really enjoy looking for beautiful things to take photos of. I travel a lot with my day job and I’m always coming across really cool old signs or a beautiful tree by the side of the road. And behind my house there’s a field and woods which provide tons of inspiration.



The other great part is that once the photos are made I get to come home and download them into the computer and see which ones I can really turn into something cool and awesome. Not all of them work. That’s when the truly creative part begins, playing with the colors, making them look vintage or putting filters on them to give them a dreamy quality. To me it’s the equivalent of having a new box of crayons and a coloring book. It’s just fun.

4. Which part do you find hardest?

FINDING TIME TO DO IT! That is sooo hard for me. I get up really early in the morning to go to work and when I travel and see all this awesome stuff I want to photograph but I usually have other people with me who just want to get back home….I don’t want to inconvenience anyone by having them stop at every cool sign or tree we pass. Then I make a mental note to go back to ‘this little community’ or ‘that roadside park’ to get photos but then I don’t have the time or energy to do it. What I would LOVE is to do this full time. To get up on my own schedule and leave when the light is perfect and just photograph every beautiful, fun, inspirational thing I see. And then come home and play on the computer with it. I’m currently looking into local venues for my art so I’ll be able to make that a reality. That’s my goal, to be able to support myself running my own business. I’m going to make it happen!


5. Where do you get your inspiration?



Nature for the most part. Colors, vintage photos.

6. Do you participate in any etsy groups, and if so, which ones?

I’m a member of the Etsy Bloggers Street Team and I’m working on getting a membership at PoE (Photographers of Etsy Street Team).

7. What's one material your shop can't live without?

Hmmm, my camera isn’t really a material but since I work in visual arts I don’t really have a specific material. I love my camera though, it’s a Nikon D-80.



8. What is your favorite item that you have purchased off of Etsy?

Wow, that’s a hard one. I’ve actually bought a lot of things at Etsy. I love so many things there! My favorite has to be a cardholder I got from Broundoor.



It‘s really awesome.

9. If I could sell one item from my shop today, it would be...

It would probably be my photograph entitled ‘bloom’.



It’s been on there awhile and gotten a lot of views but no purchase. I think it’s so pretty and inspirational. I always like to create items that would look good hanging in your creative work space.

10. If I had enough money to pick one item on my wishlist from any shop on etsy to buy, it would be...

I absolutely love everything in 5pm Studio’s shop.

This is one of the things I’d like to have from there. I’d love to have all her coffee cups, bowls and dishtowels lol. It would be hard to pick one thing that I love the most. I have a ton of jewelry in my wishlist too, but I just bought new plates so I’m all about buying coordinating things for my kitchen right now.


11. What are the top three favorite items currently listed in your store?

The ones with the most hearts are :

Approaching Evening
Love
Landing



12. What undiscovered artisans would you recommend the world to know?

Adam Paulek Pottery
Grit Goods Jewelry
Dana Miller
Slurk Girl
Moll Doll
Pocket Full of Posey
Noirliliana
Funny Cake
Bode 22
Sweet and Tranquil Bath and Body
Drink and Dream

I’m sure I have a lot more ‘undiscovereds’ in my favorites ….


13. What is the best advice you have ever received?

If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.



I had that instilled in me from early on and I think I’m finally taking it to heart.