People said, "Won't a giant octopus over the crib give your baby nightmares?" and "Why would you want that thing as decoration in your baby room?" but for me it was a no brainer. Not only is the octopus one of my favorite creatures (obviously), but they are the ultimate symbol of motherhood and protection. A mother octopus protects her eggs from the time they are laid to the time they hatch without leaving or eating, and then she dies. There is still much research to be done on this, but from what scientists have observed, "No mother could give more." That is the image of love and sacrifice that I want my son, and husband and I to remember when we admire her in his room.

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It has been a while since I posted a commission story for the series, but I am so happy to share the background for this big, beautiful piece of three of the coolest creatures on the island of Oahu! Michael Frey and I met at Garlic Fest last year, and he and his wife talked about their personal travels and what brought them to South Florida. They also purchased the original Cali Sea Lion and Cali Shark because those pieces were relevant to their life adventures. It was definitely a pleasure to paint this giant piece for Michael and his family so that he could share that part of his life with his children and generations to come!  

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Small Business Saturday is about celebrating small businesses and their successes over the year! As a small business myself, I know what kind of hard work and dedication goes into every detail, especially for hand made products such as these. I came across Nurdle in the Rough through a fellow art teacher friend, and was instantly in love with her fine jewelry and message. I chose to highlight Kathleen Crabill because I think that more people should know about the her work and process, as she brings attention to the disastrous affects of marine debris and plastics in our oceans

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I just wanted to post a little review of our International Coastal Cleanup event at Lake Worth Beach last month, because I felt there were some things that definitely deserved mention:

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