Feb 27, 2011

Finally finished!
After months of slowly working my way through Caleb Carr's The Angel Of Darkness, I've breezed through the last few chapters tonight. I couldn't be happier with the ending, which, as I've come to expect from Caleb Carr, was as dramatic and exciting as I'd expected.
This historical thriller takes place in New York during the late 19th century and brings the usual cast from the 'Alienist' back together to find a Spanish diplomat's missing baby. What they discover is a brutal killer, methodically murdering children while evading arrest with cunning charm and devious plans.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. Regardless of what genre you usually read, this story, cleverly narrated by 13-year-old character Stevie Taggart, will instantly suck you in and leave you wanting more.

Feb 26, 2011

Treasury Fantasma

Etrelle's goodies are in three more treasuries this week!
This first one is called Blue and Green:
by clevernamehere~

And I LOVE this next one called African Safari and featuring our croc-print leather sandals:
by enchantingdecadence~
And finally, Something's Fishy:
by thetwistedjewel~

Feb 23, 2011

Plants that take too long to harvest:
Pineapple.
I don't have the patience for this.

Feb 22, 2011

Our family's boxer has been a huge source of stress and anxiety this past week.
Here's a picture of the cutie:
Our sweet boxer, Demon, has been having some health troubles lately. She has a nasty cough that's hard to stop once she get's going and at one point was hacking up some pretty gnarly, bloody lumps. On top of that she was randomly having mini-seizures (or strokes, we're not sure). Basically, she'll be walking around like usual when suddenly her entire body goes stiff and she literally falls over onto her side, sometimes relieving herself in the process.
Obviously, we were extremely concerned about the matter and my sister took her in to the vet early last week. She was given some allergy medicine to relieve her cough, but nothing for her paralyzing episodes.
Unfortunately, the poor girl's just old, and aside from costly and painful surgeries that aren't likely to help, there's not much we can do aside from make her comfortable.
Two days ago I was genuinely worried that she might not even last the weekend, but her coughing fits are getting shorter and fewer and her seizures are also starting to lessen. She's had some worrisome health issues throughout the past two years but has always managed to keep pushing on. Already her demeanor and playful spirit have sprung back in full force and I'm hopeful she'll continue to improve.
We've been so lucky to have this amazing dog in our lives and hearts while I'm sad that time is almost over, I'll cherish my memories of her forever.
♥ Love you, Demon ♥

Feb 13, 2011

I've had quite a few Etrelle's items featured in treasuries on Etsy lately. I'm not quite sure where all this exposure is coming from, but I'm enjoying it!

This first treasury is called Warmth by MilkDustCreations:
It's A Man's World by NicksKitchen:
Snap Crackle Pop by DonnaElizabethDesign: (mug from Holypotato)
and My Favorite Things 5 (it's A Madcap Life Team Treasury) by theMadcapHeiress:

Feb 8, 2011

*NEW*

I've had some time at the leather shop to create some new items.

This cute little coin case is made from a soft black leather and smooth exotic fish hide:
On sale at Etsy for $17

This next case is a fun and lightweight zipper pouch! A very unique printed leather:
AND the big news: I've started moving into my new ARTFIRE account! Check out our new Etrelle's location HERE!

...I'm baaa-aaack!

It's true.

A few months back I started up a Tumblr blog and decided to stop posting here on my main Blogspot account. Initially, I switched over , not because I disliked Blogspot, but because I enjoyed the style and layout of Tumblr, the updates were quick and streamlined like facebook and twitter, and posting is easy-breezy.

However, after spending some quality time posting and promoting, I've decided to come back to Blogspot simply for the foot traffic. As much as I love Tumblr, it seems to have a smaller audience, and my goal from blogging, is of course to have people find it and read my wonderful ramblings.

So, hello Blogspot! It's great to see you again!