Embroidery

Awesome Giveaway (…with a catch?)

| leftylex

Lately I’ve been sharing a little more about my personal life and adoption rather than crafting and embroidery (and theatre geekyness) . So, if you’re here for the crafts and are getting bored of my personal life, I apologize because I only anticipate that it will get worse the further along in the adoption process we get. BUT, I promise that I will also continue blogging on things related to the indie craft world.

And check this photo out, the best of both worlds: embroidery and adoption! This was one of my favorite photos taken at our pre-adoption photo shoot last month. And yes, I made that giant hoop the night before! Please ignore the giant veins in my hand and arm. (The funny thing is that my hands now look exactly like my aunt’s and I always thought that her hands looked scary/gross when I was a kid… I hope that my niece doesn’t think like this!)

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But I digress, as usual! The adoption is going to cost us oodles of money ($32K in oodles to be exact). So, I need your help. It’s true. But, I’ll offer you the potential to win something cool in return; how does that sound? Husband and I have created an online fundraiser through YouCaring.com and we’d LOVE for you to help us get the word out about it (or even donate yourselves!). Our site can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest OR by grabbing our widget and adding it to your blog/website! You can find our site here: http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/melendez-family-adoption/96257  ( www.youcaring.com/melendezadoption)

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Now comes the part where I tell you what you have the possibility of winning! For every single share or donation made by you, I will write your name on a raffle ticket. And at the end of November (which so happens to be National Adoption Month) I will hold a drawing for a $50 Etsy gift card. Woohoo! Think  of the wonderful handmade goodness that you could buy on Etsy with $50! And if the fundraising goes particularly well, I will even consider doubling it!

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Thank you so much for reading this post and please, please, please share our adoption journey on any/all of your social media outlets. And make sure that you tag me so I know that you’ve done so! Here are my handles:

We’re ‘hashtagging’ this campaign #HelpLexAdopt. So long as you use that hashtag, I should be able to see your postings. And if you have been SOOOO kind as to add our little widget to your blog, then please let me know that you’ve done so by commenting below or by sending an email to me at << leftylex@gmail.com >>.

Again, thank you in advance!

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The Ride has Begun

| leftylex

The process of adoption has often been compared to a roller coaster. And if we stay with this analogy, then Husband and I have just experienced out first dip.

After months (between 7 and 8) of adoption agency research, waiting children profile browsing, and loads of praying, we finally settled on adopting through Lifeline Children’s Services. Our application was submitted and received on Monday, with much excitement. (Excitement might be a slight understatement). The following day we received an email response to our inquiry on a 3 year old boy who I fell in love with a few weeks ago. I was over the moon to find out that he was still available for adoption! We were even more excited to read through his entire medical file and learn all about his life story. And then we were told that we could place a “hold” on him if we were truly interested and met China’s qualifications for adoption.

Wow! Yes we were extremely interested (if you could only see our smiles!) but I was a bit worried that my being only 29 3/4 (not China’s required 30) might be a factor. I immediately emailed back that we would LOVE to “hold” the little guy bit wondered if my age would prevent us from doing so. I prayed that it wouldn’t, dove even further into his file, and fell even further in love with him.

This morning, while sitting in an all-day training, the dreaded email came in: Unfortunately, we are unable to place XXX on hold until you are 30 years old. Dagger to the heart. Our first roller coaster dip.

Our agency rep was quick to say that if XXX is still available come 1/10/14 AND if his file is still with LL, then we can place a hold on him and submit an LOI (letter of intent… to adopt). For now, as much as I wish I had some control here, this little boy, his file, and his future are in God’s hands. Soli deo Gloria!

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An Ode to Instagram

| leftylex

20130813-063537.jpg I. Love. Instagram. Like an insane amount. While I’ve fiddled with other forms of social media, namely Facebook and Twitter, neither have yielded the same results as Instagram. As of this morning I have nearly 400 followers and less of 10 of those are actually friends and family members, the rest are strictly Lefty Lex fans. Amazing!

Let me share with you a few of the awesome things that have resulted from my IG love:

  1.  I’ve been able to connect with a bunch of adoptive mamas-in-awaiting and have been blessed to contribute some Lefty Lex goodies towards their adoption fundraising efforts. (Due unto others…) 20130813-063547.jpg
  2. I’ve been able to connect with an insane amount of crafty biz chicks and watch the beauty of this community as everyone supports/promotes one another. This connection ultimately brought me to my next upcoming fair, Penelope Lane Boutique! (SoCal mark your calendars for 9/28 and take a trip to Seal Beach; more info to come). 20130813-063553.jpg
  3. I found my new most favoritest product ever… the teeny tiny hoop pendant by Dandelyne!!! I can’t even put into words how completely head over heels in love I am with these hoops. Seriously. I received my first shipment (of many to come) two weeks ago and have been in love ever since. Sorry Husband. 20130813-063559.jpg
  4. I had an insanely successful Instasale with the support of my fabulous IG followers! I plan on doing a full length blog on this experience alone in the near future. But it was a fabulous experience and I plan on doing many more to add funds towards our adoption.

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5. I have been able to share bragging photos of my adorable niece! Yes, I am officially an auntie! My sister-in- law gave birth to our first niece, Emersyn Lucille, one week ago today and little Emery has stolen our hearts. I know that I’m biased, but is she not the cutest little niece to ever grace the planet? I can’t wait until she and her parents move back to San Diego so I can teach her to be the youngest crafter ever!

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In closing, if you’re not yet on Instagram, get there! And once you’re there, follow @LeftyLex. Then you can keep up with all of my shenanigans in real time! I wish you all a very merry Tuesday and I’ll speak with you soon. Cheers!

*Disclaimer: I will do my very best not to include photos of the above child in every single post from here on out, but no promises can be made. You have been warned.

Team Rierra

| leftylex

Can I theatre geek you out for a minute? Or maybe for this entire post. Yes? Why, thank you! We haven’t chatted about theatre in a bit and I’m dying to so play along, won’t you?

Okay, I want to talk about Team Rierra. What, you have no idea what Team Rierra is? Well then friend, you are in for a treat! Team Rierra is composed of Canadian star Ramin Karimloo and American cutie Sierra Boggess.

Among others, they have starred together in Phantom of the Opera as the Phantom (Eric) and Christine Daaé and they starred in the sequel to Phantom, called Love Never Dies. They. Are. Magical.

That romantic chemistry… oh my! Their chemistry is probably the best of any two actors who have ever graced the stage! They are adorable. But, he’s married and she’s engaged. (Insert sad sigh here.) The romantic in me wants them to be together. However, the realist in me thinks that I would be very, very concerned if I were either of their significant others. Watch the clip below and tell me that you wouldn’t be a tad bit nervous. This is part 4 of a 4 segmented interview; and all other clips are on Youtube if you’re so inclined.

I am not alone in my love for Team Rierra. Hardly. There is a whole giant theatre geek movement with endless social media accounts dedicated to the two of them

And at the rate of completely embarrassing dear Husband, I am going to share a story that made me fall even more in love with him a few weeks ago. I was in my office listening to some Broadway station on Pandora when “Beneath A Moonless Sky” (from Love Never Dies) began playing. I, in attempt to be a smart Alec, asked Husband who was singing the song. He paused for a second, listened to a few lines, then said “Ramin Karimloo”. I was astonished! So I prompted further, and asked who Ramin was singing with. He listened for another line or two then said “Sierra Boggess”. I was in love all over again! This was immediately followed by him saying, “See Wife, I listen to you.”. What a fabulous man that I am married to! (Now keep that between us, I don’t think he would want you to know that!)

You are officially Lefty Lex theatre-geeked out now. Have a happy Thursday, carry on!

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Happy Bastille Day!

| leftylex

Bonjour! Apparently this Sunday is Bastille Day in France, which celebrates the storming of Bastille on July 14, 1789. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on French holidays so, by all means, click here if you want to educate yourself further: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day.

I bring this up only because I am super excited about the amount of traffic that I have been receiving on my Etsy page and all of this due to this little guy below!

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While I have made several country hoops in this fashion, Mr. Vive la France is my most popular. This little guy was featured in several treasury lists over the past 36 hours. My favorite of which being: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjU5NTExNjF8MjcyNDcyMzAzMA/bastille-day?index=1&atr_uid=, http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjEzMTkwNXwyNzIyMTU4MTU5/joyeux-fete-nationale?index=3&atr_uid=, and http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjEzMTkwNXwyNzI0NzI0MzQw/bleu-blanc-et-rouge?index=0&atr_uid=. I love being in Treasury Lists and seeing how my work has been curated along with other handmade artisans. And due to these treasury lists I have acquired at least 20 new French followers of Lefty Lex Creations on Etsy! Woohoo!

I have made no secret in hiding the fact that Spain (France’s neighbor to the West) is my favorite country to visit. I will, however, say that France is the most beautiful place that I have ever been to! I always like to follow this by saying that that is a pretty big compliment seeing as I grew up in Hawai’i and live in Coronado, California. France is literally jaw-dropping. I’ll share just a few photos then send you on you merry little way to enjoy the weekend.

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I guess I should explain the “Hi Sam” photo. Sam is my former co-worker and best guy friend who always seems to live hundreds of miles away from me. Over the past several years, whenever either of us travel we say “hi” to each other on slips of paper, in the sand/dirt, etc. It has become a fun little to-do between the two of us and our photos now span several countries and States… and now you’re in on our secret too! Sshhh… Au revoir!

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