MTcoffinz = LOVE

Right now, MTcoffinz is having a giveaway. I would looove to win. Even runner up would be most excellent. Read on to find the details on how you can help.

As you have read in past, I love love love MTcoffinz eye shadow. And of coarse their amazing tutus. I have one and my daughters have one.

Shadow over the Under The Rainbow Eye Primer

Shadow on bare lid.

I have less than half of the eye shadow line...it is a tragedy..yes I know...but if I win or even get runner up, I shall be so much closer to having the complete line!
Why do I love it? It stays on all AND all night. All night? YES! I have a horrid habbit of not washing my face at the end of the day. My eye shadow stays in place all night! The summers here are horridly hot. I haven't had any problems with it creasing due to the sweat of the heat.

What is not to love about the tutus? Very full and well made! Next on my wishlist from them is the bridal/prom full length red and black tutu. See HERE! As you can see, it is very ME :D

Right now, MTcoffinz is having a giveaway. I would looove to win. Even runner up would be most excellent.

It is super simple. Please go to MTcoffinz and click "LIKE" Then go to her NOTE about the contest. Leave a comment saying that I, Chantell Reid sent you. That's it! Feel free to enter for yourself too!

Leave a comment here when you have completed the above. If I get enough people to help..I may due a drawing of those that helped :)

Its Been A Rough Summer

Mid June we had the BEST family vacation ever. There was no yelling and we had quality family time at the coast while celebrating my youngest daughter's second birthday. At the end of our lil vacation, we got sorrowful news that my husbands grandpa was not doing so well.

On our way home, we made an emergency detour to Bend to what we discovered was our last goodbyes. It was a tragic end to such a wonderful weekend. His grandpa had pneumonia that he let go too long and it led to fatal problems. It came as such a shock. He passed 4 days prior the 1yr date of his wife passing. Grandma lost her battle to cancer last year.  So, grandpa's passing was devastating.

The weekend of July 4th, we spent mourning the family's loss. Saturday was spent having quality family time and then Sunday, we all went to Elk Camp to spread the ashes of grandma and grandpa. They spent years hunting and camping at this camp site. There was no better place for them to be. Their kids and grand kids all spent quality time with them there.  It was an emotional day. Laughter in remembrance and tears as reality of them gone set in.

At the end of the path of ashes, the sun shown down and formed what looks like 2 spots joining together.

Their urns were buried where they would sit next to the campfire. When I took this picture, a few of us were still gathered around. Only when I got home, did I notice that there was a heart around them. This is NOT photoshopped. The only thing I edited, was the outer area I made black and white and added the text to the right.
Since then, we are getting back in the groove of things and it is getting easier. We now have some new struggles. Our oldest as many of you know has struggled with behavioral issues since she was about 2. In May of this year, we actually got some true help. We have had to make changes and will always have to do things a bit differently when raising her but the end goal is to make our lives happier. Recently though, my fears have become reality. I never wanted to accept that I had a difficult child, that there was something wrong with her. And definitely not a child that needed medication. Well, she is now on 2 types. If they work, I am all for it. And the end goal is to be able to take her off the medications but it is still tough for me to accept.

MTcoffinz Alternative Clothing Tutus!

Some time back, I discovered a shop on Etsy. I then learned she had 2 shops AND a website! What initially drew me in, was a formal tutu.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/17201467/gothic-bridal-skirt-floor-length-tulle

Then, she produced a makeup line. And well, you know how much I LOVE THAT!

From there, I stumbled upon the piped tu tu. I knew I instantly wanted my girls to have one. I saw that they didn't openly offer the child sizes needed, so I contacted her assistant. I told her color wasn't all that important but told her my girls' favorite colors. She suggested a purple/pink combo that would match but be a definite contrast. I measured and submitted sizes...I hope my pictures do them justice!

Next will be my piped tu tu! A red and black that I will be modeling for them. I have the perfect red and black boots! I am sooo excited! Stay tuned!!

Sorry for the delay...Baby Lilah

She is so precious and sweet. One would never guess that she was born premature and at 7 weeks weighing in at 8.8lbs. When I got to see her pretty blue eyes it was a treat.

She was a great model for me and tolerated the different positions and various headbands and hats :)

Nothing more sweet and innocent than a precious sleeping baby.

Etsy shops update!

Yes. The rumor is true. I will not be listing anything new or renewing things when they are ready to expire.

From my previous post you can see that we are going through a lot here at home. I feel that my energy and focus needs to be on what's important- MY FAMILY!

I have been on etsy since April 2010. I started out as CReid0409, then in November 2010, I split into 2 shops. FeatherAhead and CreationsByCReid.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67642176/waterfall-of-feathers-on-leather-with

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62892924/crochet-flapper-cloche-red-and-black

 It was a new start..a fresh one. Or at least that is what I told myself. Under CReid0409, I had a total of 6 sales. Since Nov, I have had 3 sales in my FeatherAhead shop and no sales in my CreationsByCReid shop. I know that all of my focus was in FeatherAhead and that is probably why my other shop never went anywhere.

We don't have an extra room at home for my workspace, so the living room becomes my workspace. Currently it takes up a good portion of it. I have to try and keep it "shoved" into the corner, so anytime I want to work on something, I end up stringing it all over the place. I would just organize it better but that would mean taking up even more space.  With all of the supplies and finished pieces piling up, it is overwhelming. And each day, as I obsessively check my shops hoping for a sale, I am more and more discouraged at the lack of sales.

I have had my shop critiqued and one of my sales was by an Etsy Admin. They say, "patience." You are doing everything right. Just hang in there. Well sadly, I am out of patience and more importantly I am out of money.

My oldest is finishing her last day of Kindergarten today. That means she will be home for the next 3 months or so. My attention needs to be undivided for the kiddos for awhile. And for my wonderful husband who works so hard for us. He has supported me throughout this whole adventure even though it has cost us money that we could have better put somewhere else.

I will continue my passion of Photography in the meantime and plan to get my family more involved in it. We will do a photo scavenger hunt this summer which I am super excited for. Hopefully I will get one or two more weddings this year and lots of portraits scheduled.
 Email me for available dates and rates. You can also find me on facebook.

A while back I opened a zazzle.com shop to put my photography to use. It doesn't cost anything and doesn't take up space. So far it keeps the creativity flowing and I get to see my photography in use. A win win all the way around.

Unless I get completely sold out, the last day that FeatherAhead will be open is October 7, 2011 and October 5, 2011 for CreationsByCReid.
Coupon codes: FeatherAhead coupon code: SUMMER15 for 15% off (don't forget to check out the sale section for additional savings)
CreationsByCReid coupon code: CREIDSUMMER15 for 15% off
Now, if the coupons still don't help make my items into your budget, convo me with reasonable offer!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Reid

Another lady joins the Reid family. 10 months ago I was that lady. A California gal that seems to fit right in with the Reid's love of hunting and the outdoors. Her now husband, is my husband's cousin. Our gift to them, was taking care of the photography and the bride's makeup. She also had me make her a custom bridal piece that her now mother in law bought for her.

The venue they chose was at Red Barn Farms. The weather cooperated beautifully even though all week they forcasted rain. They had a very fun and laid back wedding. There weren't too many traditional elements to the day which seemed to be perfect for them. Cupcakes instead of an actual cake, no bouquet or garter toss. Few family photos and lots of beer.

I am happy to announce Mr. and Mrs. Reid. Welcome to the family Stacie! Wishing you many wonderful happy memories during your lifetime.

My calender is now pretty much open. If you are getting married or know someone who is and needs a photographer contact me by emailing me at creationsbycreid@gmail.com. If you would like to see more work you may visit my facebook page. I know this isn't too professional but I am working on the details of designing a website. In the meantime, I still felt it important to have samples of work available for viewing. I offer different packages to help those on tighter budgets.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Swihart

Beautiful location and setting for a wedding. The weather? PERFECT! It rained at every moment except during the wedding and all photo taking. Couldn't have been more lucky. It was a quiet, intimate wedding with the closest friends and family sharing in their love.

I wonder if she "sees" the way he looks at her? The love rolls off of him onto her like a rained on windshield that has been treated rainex. In this photo you can see it and you can see how giddy in love she is..

Off to the reception..well..they wanted to ride to the reception this way but decided not to, so we took some pics..

The next morning, we did a little "trash the dress" photo shoot and once again weather was perfect.

They were game for just about anything. The water was a bit cold too..i was in it half way to my knees and my feet seemed to numb a bit...so brave but so worth the photos!

Tomorrow I am shooting another wedding..one for family..with another amazing venue.

The bride and groom to be..stay tuned..for the introduction of Mr. and Mrs. Reid...

Giveaway Deadline EXTENDED

Due to the confusion of the entry method, I will be clarifying and extending the deadline in hopes to receive a few more entries. Please email your entry to creationsbycreid@gmail.com.

Clarification: I am looking for a short story relating to my new collection: Boho Chic FeatherAhead Style. I am not looking for an opinion or a description of the collection. To give you an idea, for this listing, I wrote a short story as part of the description of this listing Jenny Tatter.
I am only looking for 1-2 paragraphs. It should include the collection as a whole, not just one particular piece. When you look at the Boho Chic FeatherAhead Style collection, what is the first thing that comes to mind? You can view the collection here and here. If you need more help, please let me know...

I want to use the winners story in my shop for the new collection. So, if you are an Etsy shop owner, please give me the link to your shop so that proper credit is given.

The new deadline will be, Monday, May 9,  9am pacific time. A third party will choose the top 3 finalists. The top 3 finalists will then be announced with their stories and voting will open.

The finalist with the most votes will choose one of the following:

a burgundy handmade flower with a goldstone center accent hair clip

OR

a head band with a handmade flower with vintage bead accent, as well as rooster feathers

It Is Appreciation Giveaway Time!

As promised, when I reached 50 blog followers, I would do a giveaway. I apologize about the delay but I was trying to come up with the perfect giveaway plus I just launched a new line of headpieces.

I have released several in my FeatherAhead shop. The line is called Boho Chic FeatherAhead Style. The pieces are listed in the Boho Chic My Style section in my shop. The official name wouldn't fit in the section title.

There will be sizes available from Newborn to Adult.

You can wear them for dressy or casual ocassions.

There are also clips available if you prefer.

What do you have to do to enter this giveaway you ask?
I am looking for a short story centered around the new line...1-2 paragraphs to use in my descriptions of the new line. You will be given credit of coarse when it is used so if you have an etsy store, make sure you leave me a link to it.  You may only enter once. All entries must be received by May 6, 2011 at 9pm Pacific Time. The top 3 finalists will be chosen by a third party and then released on here for public voting. Voting will begin at the end of the day on May 7, 2011 and the person with the most votes will be announced May 9, 2011.
Email your entries to creationsbycreid@gmail.com.
The winner will choose one of the following:

A dark burgundy flower w/goldstone center clip

 OR

An orange and brown flower w/upcycled vintage bead lace headband.

READY, SET, GO!

They said "I Do" Again

While Stephanie and Mike were already married, they decided to do it again.

An intimate setting with their closest friends and family to support them.

It was originally planned as an outdoor spring wedding but mother nature had another idea. Rain.

So, she moved it inside to where here reception was and it was beautiful.

She handled the changes and stresses very well. Nothing was gonna get her down on this special day.

As an added bonus to me, she bought a custom made birdcage veil and fascinator from me..She looked amazing!

She has a beautiful family of her own.

And they are excited to be welcoming another addition this year!

Hopefully we will get in a maternity shoot later and then a newborn shoot to follow :) Here is a sneak peak to the next wedding:

If you wish to see more pictures, please visit my fanpage Creations By CReid. For pricing and details for your event, please email me at creationsbycreid@gmail.com

Weddings..Beautiful! The Bride, Groom and Let's Not Forget the Rings!

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. But will the girl say "YES?" They are headed down that road to marriage. It starts out with a very big step. The question, "Will you marry me?" presented with a ring. Now, no matter how its done, there is always that unique and quirky story that the bride to be will tell the rest of her life. The size of the diamond doesn't matter or how much was spent. What matters is the thought and courage surrounding it.

And with these rings, well..it would be hard to say NO lol...

On THE day, another ring is given, both to bride and groom. The ring is a circle. An endless and timeless symbol of everlasting love.  With open communication, trust and love..not to mention the balance of laughter and romance..you will stay on that road of everlasting love!

I want to be that old couple that still holds hands that the younger generations oohing and awing about. How bout you? Tell me your story! I shall share my engagement story with pictures in the near future! I may even turn this into a bit of a contest with the story sharing!