Featured Friday Wednesday! {and a giveaway ;-}

Spring time is one of the best times of year for a fresh, new and exciting change in your home. With our economy on seriously shaky ground, it might be difficult to buy new furniture, bedding or remodel the kitchen to get the feeling of 'new' -- This is where my sister-in-law {aka, SIL} can help...

She called me about 4 months ago and said Check your email, look what I made! -- I did and was totally blown away... I called her right back and asked So when are you going to start selling them? She was really taken aback and explained that the idea stemmed from having seen one at her favorite store and then she saw the price tag and thought "I can make my own for way less" -- Once made, she realized by simply changing this one feature in her home, she'd created a whole new feel... so she made one for every room of her house --

What? You ask is this one incredibly simple, inexpensive, but couture way of changing the entire look of your home? Lampshades. Yeah, I know. I really didn't fully believe her, either, until she made one for my office and then one for D and my home and it did. Having a blog, it was the only avenue I knew to get her started... having 3 children, she didn't have the time to figure out how to build a blog, so I stepped and did it -- 3 days later, we had a blog -- I wrote her first post and helped her launch by doing a giveaway --

Within a couple months she started getting some custom orders and really felt like she could make a business out of it -- She came across Etsy and learned the ins and outs of it, made 30 lampshades and launched -- Within a couple weeks she had more orders and could hardly contain herself that people were really wanting what she had to offer {of course I wasn't surprised, but isn't that just how it goes?} In the mean time, she came across a local art shop that sells "All things locally made" by local artists how many times can you say local in one sentence? -- She dropped in and took a chance by asking if they might be interested in showing her lampshades... The owner immediately looked at her blog/Etsy store and asked When can you come back and set up shop!? Of course Tory flipped out and that next weekend, she and her husband took their date night and set up all her shades --

I thought that took the cake until she called me yesterday and announced A Boutique Hotel in California saw my Etsy store and want 30 custom lampshades! I almost lost it {if you haven't gathered by now, I really give into my emotions} -- The thrill of having watched my SIL simply want to change the look of her home using a limited budget, to becoming a full-blown business woman, doing what she loves and making money doing it... I. love. it. more than I can express on this blog -- Here are a few things she says about lampshades:

• Lampshades are a way to completely change the look of a room for very little money
• Can't figure out what color to paint your walls? buy a lampshade and let the colors from the fabric inspire you.
• Afraid of color? A lampshade is a subtle and beautiful way to add color
• Love color? Perfect... add more with a lampshade
• Who wants to be like everybody else? Buy a lampshade that nobody else has. You can't buy these at Target :-) I have never made the same lampshade twice
• I have made over 65 shades now and am a mom of a 4 year old, 2 1/2 year old, and 9 month old, God is good that they all still nap
• You can buy already made lampshades at my Etsy Store
• You can order custom made lampshades through my blog, Shade That Lamp

IF YOU LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE, FL: Works of Art, where Tory will be selling her Lampshades, is having their Grand Opening this Saturday at 7999 Philips Hwy, Suite 100 Jacksonville, FL -- She would LOVE to meet you and help you recreate your home using lampshades -- This is non-for-profit organization, selling hand-crafted items made by local artisans

Tory said to me I'm realizing dreams really can come true. Thank you for encouraging me to start my blog and sell my lampshades. Now I have an Etsy shop, I'm selling them in our local Art Shop and I'm getting orders from hotels!

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times... there's no greater joy I have than seeing that someone has a dream, encouraging that dream in any way I can and watching it really come to life. Love it.

Now... for a giveaway -- Tory is giving away one 6x6x7 drum shade -- YOU describe the room and she'll pick the fabric -- Drum shades are perfect for any floor lamp or hanging lamp {like above your dining table} -- Here are a few examples of drum shades she's made {and some sold} already --


Rules:

• Comment, one entry
• Comment and follow TORY, two entries
• Comment, follow Tory and post about the giveaway, 3 entries

Giveaway will be closed SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT and winner will be announced Monday!

P.S. Just as you may have figured because sometimes I'm so d#@*! fickle, a new name came to me this morning in the shower {where all inspiration flows... hee hee} -- It will officially be called "Featured Friday" because, well, I'm featuring a new blogger's dream every Friday! So there.