good day sunshine

be kind to animals week {tidbit #3}

if you're not quite ready to take the leap into pet ownership, but you still want to do your part, your local animal shelter can always use the help. whether it's time, money, or supplies.. every little bit makes a difference!

{1} spend a saturday morning at your local shelter cleaning cages, playing with the animals, or reorganizing the space. you can simply google animal shelters in your area to find one close to you. call them and ask if they need volunteers.

{2} don't have the time to spend? of course, cash is tight these days, but a small donation here and there can really add up over time and do so much good.

{3} most animal shelters are in constant need of blankets, sheets, comforters, pillows, towels, etc. next time you do a little spring cleaning around the house, consider taking some of those items that you'd normally give to goodwill or sell at a yard sale to an animal shelter.

{4} ask what kind of food the shelter feeds their animals and offer to buy them a big bag. while you're at the pet supply store, maybe pick up a cute toy or two from the sale section {usually around $3-5}.

you'd be surprised how these tiny little gestures can really help out your local shelter. i've never heard of them turning volunteers or donations away, which means they're always in need. more ideas? leave me a little message in the comments section! :)

be kind to animals week {tidbit #2}

if you're thinking about adopting a pet, consider a shelter or rescue animal. studies have shown that even though they may have had some trauma in their past, once you give a rescue animal a forever home, they will be a wonderfully loyal companion. oh, and did you know that mixed breeds are actually less likely to have some of the major health concerns that some pure breeds suffer from?

if you're not sure where to look, or what kind of dog would suit your family best, purina has a great website called petcentric that will help you find the perfect companion. if you've already got that little fuzzy friend, petcentric even has a great locator tool to find groomers, sitters, dog parks, and even hotels that are pet friendly {if your pet likes to travel with you}.

do you have a great adoption story? share it in the comments!

happy be kind to animals week!

did you know that the first week of may is national be kind to animals week? it's sponsored by the american humane association and has been in effect since 1915. there's a great article about it here.

all this week on good day sunshine, i'll be offering little tidbits for how you can make this week extra special for the pet in your life!

plus, i'll be donating 10% of the proceeds from all pet-related items in my etsy shop to the american humane association. if you decide to get yourself {or a loved one} a little something, be sure to leave me a message at checkout, so i'll know!

first, be kind to animals week isn't just about your little furry domesticated friend.. it's about being kind to all animals. take some time to make sure the wildlife in your area get a little pampering too.

{1} fill up the birdbath in your yard.. it's starting to get warmer, and the birds love to have a nice little sanctuary to cool off in.

{photo by jbinpg on flickr}

{2} don't throw away those fruits and veggies that are just a little past ripe! put them outside and you'll attract all sorts of cute little foragers.. squirrels, chipmunks, bunnies, maybe even a deer or two!

{3} remember this tutorial from a couple months back? pumpkins may be out of season, but you can use any type of large squash or gourd to make a quick and easy bird feeder.

so, what will you do this week to be kind to animals? leave me a little note in the comments section and i may feature your answer in an upcoming post! :)

a lil bit of love.

not to toot my own horn or anything, but i'm kind of in love with this treasury i made today. it's all about the simple things in life.. very neutral and soothing. go check it out if you have a minute to spare!

i fight crime.

breaking news! there's an underwear bandit out there ridding our streets of bad guys and fighting crime! i don't know about you, but i'm shakin' in my boots.

{buy it here} {pinned here}

spotted {inameliart}

amelia jastrzębska creates the most amazing whimsical paintings of bears, bunnies, elephants, and other precious little animals. i just love the color palette she uses.. a wonderful soft, springy feel.

not only would these be adorable in a child's room, they've also got a touch of classic sophistication and i could honestly see them in any room of the house!

head on over to her brand new etsy shop and see all of the adorableness {shh. yes, that's totally a word}.. which one is your favorite?

happy earth day!

check out my newest etsy treasury celebrating earth day! head on over and give these wonderful artists some commenting and clicking love!

april 20, 2010

{national geographic}

one year ago yesterday, the entire gulf coast changed forever. bp's deepwater horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 innocent workers and dumping close to 200 million gallons of crude oil into the beautiful gulf of mexico. we stood by and watched helplessly as mistake after mistake was made. officials promised us that it "wasn't that bad" and "we'll have it back to normal in no time". as if the loss of human life wasn't bad enough, reports started pouring in of sea life and birds being suffocated and stranded by the thick brown oil. it didn't seem real at the time, and we couldn't even begin to imagine the repercussions down the road. as a culture based on tourism and seafood, what would we do to survive? our seafood was oily and unfit to eat, and no one wanted to step foot on our once white sandy beaches now covered in sheets of sticky slimy oil. beach vacation cancellations were at an all time high. coastal cities became virtual ghost towns. the smell was almost unbearable.. like a mix between an old car's exhaust and new pavement being laid. it was enough to literally burn the inside of your nose and give you a massive headache at the same time.

now, a year later, we're entering the beginning of tourist season. people are starting to return to our beaches. will it make up for the losses of last year? probably not. but it's a step in the right direction. while most of the country has moved on from this disaster, it's still in the forefront of everybody's minds down south. here's what they're not telling you:

approximately 80% of the oil from the spill is still in the gulf of mexico. it's not on the surface anymore, so the old saying goes.. out of sight, out of mind. it's absolutely destroying our ecosystems. the animals that call the gulf of mexico home are extremely threatened.

scientists still haven't been able to determine the toxicity of the dispersant used to break up the oil from the surface. here's what we do know.. it didn't work like they thought it would. not only that, but it's sticking around longer than they expected. hundreds of people who have come into contact with the dispersant have reported severe medical issues.

a largely increased number of dead dolphins are washing up on shore. they keep trying to tell us this isn't strange.. not only that, but surely it has nothing to do with the oil spill, right?

tar balls are still washing up on our beaches. skies that used to be full of pelicans and sea gulls are eerily empty. the long term effects are still unknown. bp can tell everybody that it's all hunky-dory, but we know the truth. southerners aren't slow and dumb, no matter the general public's perceptions. we're a culture.. a community.. built on a peaceful, simple, friendly way of life. and we're passionate. it's our home, how could we not be passionate about it?

i've been pinning my little heart out..

pinterest is like visual crack. yep, i said it. endless inspiration. eye candy. head over and check it out if you haven't yet! you won't be sorry.

p.s. if anybody out there doesn't have an account yet, i have some invites to give out! just leave me a little message in the comments. or you can tweet me if that's more your style. ;)

love for japan

as some of you may have seen, i'm running a collective shop on etsy to help raise money for the current crisis in japan. it's called love for japan. there are some wonderful items listed in the shop already, and the list is growing daily. 100% of the proceeds {after etsy and paypal fees} are being donated to the red cross. the true beauty of a collective shop is the fact that you can find a little bit of everything in one place. not to mention the totally awesome fact that etsians are coming together for a common cause and donating their time, money, and goods out of the kindness of their own hearts.

if you have a second, i'd really appreciate you heading over to see the selection, and if you're an etsy seller, consider donating an item or two to the shop. you can see the how-to-donate section on the love for japan profile page. it's easy as pie.

you can also spread the word in other ways.. reblogging this post. i give you full permission to use anything and everything from this article. one of my fabulous helpers, ashley, wrote this detailed article on handmade with purpose earlier this week. it's a great read. you're welcome to use anything over there as well. just make sure you link back to the shop so people know where to find it. we're also using the hashtag #loveforjapan on twitter if you're a twittering sort of person. share it on facebook, send a few quick emails to some friends, any exposure is good exposure.

i'm honored to be able to do my little part for the people of japan. thanks for taking the time to do yours!