We have a domain & a website

http://www.foxazhandmade.com

come check it out- it's hosted by Weebly. So easy to make, even for a doofus like me.

Some new pics of the cactus in bloom in the front yard. We take the cold sensitive plants inside for the winter, and when spring comes, we put them outside under the trees in the front yard. There they enjoy mottled sunshine and monsoon rains. The cactus, which is at least 20 years old, blooms every year with a giant showy blossom. This year, it has many buds and will no doubt continue to bloom through August.

The kitteh is our oldest cat. He is 14 years old and still handsome as ever. He always wonders, though, why I crawl on the floor to get good pictures of him. I'll let him wonder...

The Monsoon Rains have come!

It rained today! So nice! Cooled everything off, brought the cats in to get dry...The smell of rain is heavenly!

I took photos while the sun was out and posted some new pieces on our various venues. Pretty things:

Swimmies

Here they are- The Swimmies! Taken before their escape to the interwebz.

If you click on the picture, it will get bigger!

Arizona, Crispy as a Taco and twice as HOT!

Yes, the big fire is still burning in the White Mountains of Eastern AZ. No containment at all, and Eagar is on standby to evacuate. I saw pictures of the sky in Albuquerque...it was yellow with smoke and ash. Yellow! People are being cautioned to stay indoors and keep the air conditioners off in ABQ.

For us in the northwest of the state, things are dry, but not on fire, yet. We've been lucky, because the winds are blowing from southwest to northeast, and we haven't even had smoke or ash. But poor New Mexico! The town of Luna NM has been warned to be ready to evacuate.

There have been few reports of loss of buildings, but firefighters say part of that is because they can't see in the smoke, and planes and helicopters have been grounded by the winds. Over 300 square miles has been blackened.

The economy is based to a large extent on tourism. Tourism is based on people who want to go enjoy the the cool pines and mountains... but that will be impossible to do. There's nothing quite so sad as the land after a fire.. blackened sticks, pointing to the sky.

Pray for the evacuees, and pray for rain.

Arizona's on Fire!

The eastern part of Arizona, with tinder-dry forests and beautiful dry meadows, is called "the high country"- It's a getaway for the people of the Phoenix area in the summer, when temps reach 100 and beyond. Some of the most sought-after places for cabins in the woods, the town of Greer, Alpine, Nutrioso and others are on evacuation watch from the 3rd biggest fire in AZ history. The Wallow fire - no idea why the name, but that's what they call it.

We've had very little rain, and plenty of high wind and dry lightning storms. 144,000 acres is burning. (UPDATE: Over 200,000 acres)

Pray for rain.

A Few New Things

Here are a few new pieces on the webz. There's a few on ARtfire, Zibbet, and Etsy. Prices are quite reasonable.

Check out the sites and see what you might find...

More Beautiful Flowers / Iris

Getting the yard in order...little apples on the tree, lovely iris blooming, Betty Alice gives some kitty love to the Buddha... All the houseplants out under the trees for the summer...

It's May in Arizona; Life is good.

(And this just before running a garden stake into my leg and having to go to UrgentCare to have it removed) I had the biggest splinter they'd seen in a while...

Springtime Iris in the Fox Garden

Stuff in a Jar

Lately Etsy has been featuring a lot of stuff in Mason Jars: sawdust, string, various other stuff in the whimsical barnwood, farmhouse chic style.
So a bunch of people who frequent the Creative Breakroom forum were challenged by Eclipse to create our own Jars of Stuff. She's made a Treasury using some of the examples we listed on Etsy.

My entry is a one eyed bird, in a nest, in a Mason Jar, pictured above.

Etsy

I have shops on Etsy. Two of them, one for original ooak work, and one for vintage.

Today I saw the INC article on Etsy's founder, "raking in millions at his online 'fleamarket" Up til now, I never thought of Etsy quite that way. I thought it was "Buy, Sell, Live Handmade"

But I've been wrong before.

Then I thought I'd ask a question in the Etsy forums, but one of the admins said it might take 5 years to get an answer. Really? I just don't have that kind of time.

Sorry Etsy, you disappoint me.

The Adventures of BaldyLocks -Cancer Blog: Let's Do Something Good

The Adventures of BaldyLocks -Cancer Blog: Let's Do Something Good: "Save a life. Become a bone marrow donor. OneMatch.ca -Canadian Registry National Marrow Donor Program Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide My life ..."

Become a Bone Marrow Donor

Recent discussions I've been a part of (just a tiny tiny part) have made me think of how important it is that people become bone marrow donors. You can sign up here: http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/

It only takes a few minutes and could save the life of someone who really needs a transplant, maybe even someone you know.

Baby Apricots!

It must be Spring!

Betty was helping me take photos for our vintage shop, CallMeOut on Etsy. She's always anxious to lend a paw to whatever I'm trying to do outdoors in natural light.

I was able to take some not-so-bad pics. Do you just LOVE the Zebra planter? I think it's so cute. It will be up in the shop very soon. The buckle is up now- a great Western style piece, made by Justin Boot Co.

The little fox is showing off one of my Mom's rings. I'll be putting it up in the next few days. The vintage shop seems to be doing a little bit better than the ooak jewelry, but we have a sale every now and then.

Have a good weekend. It's been absolutely beautiful here the last few days. I've been working outdoors with Mr Foxaz, re-doing the iris bed. It was being overtaken with trees and weeds. I wish I had the energy for digging and lifting things that I used to have. Guess older isn't always better.

Vintage at CallMeOut on Etsy

Some neat mid-century jewelry from Monet and others. The kind my mother wore to her PTA meetings, and other special places, like church...

It's a new year! It's a new fresh start!

We're back on target to make some creative moves again!
Mr Foxaz spent 12 days in the hospital, from Dec 5 to the 17th.
It kinda put the hammer down on our holidays. Had to close the Etsy stores, and the others til we got back from Phoenix Good Samaritan. When we got back, I opened them up again and we had a few sales. Not much.
But what can you do when you're out of town and in the hospital?

Today was a good day - January 5th - and I hope we have more to come.
All the tests came back negative for the serious bad stuff (cancer) so for that we're very very thankful. Still doing follow-ups and taking it one day at a time.

But today was a good day, and that's crazy good!