Four Letter Words: Pink

First blush
A baby's lips
A single rose, though silent

By  Sovereign Sea

Speaks
Of hope and life, of birth and beginnings

By Pigtail Creations

The tips of clouds in the early morning

By Sages Cupboard

A little girl's Sunday dress
With matching shoes and bow

By Nature and Zen

Come a few years, those lips will be tinted with a sweet pink glow
And a single rose will be offered

Still silent, but it  speaks
Of love's first blush, and promises to keep

By Entwined Vines

Four Letter Words: SOLO

I sit, alone.  The house is quiet and I am allowed to dream.

Of days long gone and people now passed.

By Surrender Dorothy

Of hours to come and wishes that will come true.

 By Resin 8

I sit, alone and marvel at how comforting it is to be silent and not need to speak or even move.  My eyes follow the path of dust motes reflected in the early morning sunlight, my ears pick up on the warbling notes of a birdsong. 

By Alisa Paints

I sit, alone and my heart beats out an even rhythm, an ebb and flow of life and dying, of having and losing.  A song I used to sing comes unbidden and I let it escape from my throat softly, softly, afraid the slightest sound will break the warm, golden spell I am in.

My shadow grows long and my coffee is cold.  Around me the house is starting to fill with the sounds of life returning – my son calling from the doorway announcing he is home from school, my daughter cooing to one of the little pups who have come to meet her at the door as she returns from work, another son playing peek-a-boo with my little niece.  

I breathe in and get up from my seat by the window, the spell of aloneness now broken.  The chair I sat in is pushed back to it’s corner, to wait for when I can once again sit alone.

By Sideways Shop

Four Letter Words: DARE

Look around the corner and go see what's on the other side. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Smile at the person standing next to you in line. Don't worry about looking foolish.  Think about what could happen if they smile back.

Take a new route to work today.  Take a new route home.  Don't see it as a deviation but as an adventure.

Wear that outfit you've been keeping in your closet for so long - who cares what other people say.  You've been wanting to wear it because it is so YOU.

Tell someone how much they mean to you.  They've probably been waiting to hear it for a long time.

Just for today, look at that dream straight in the eye and take the first step to make it real.  Who knows, the rest of the steps you need to take, not apparent for now, might just appear.

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Four Letter Words: SALE (Part 3)

It's still Christmas in July on Artfire, so let's go

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Nine vintage shops!

Artfire has great vintage shops and they are in  full swing participating in the Christmas in July sale.  Here's nine offerings from nine lovely shops:

From the Vintage Bling Box

From Always Daddys Girl

From Sewing Happy Place

From Bijoutiful

From Southern Lady

From Blue Daisy Supplies

From Lionfish53

From Vintage Findings and More

From Natural Amber Designs

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Ten sales for these shops

There's a fab guild on Artfire called Shops with Less than Ten Sales and they run a blog that features fantastic, undiscovered artisan shops.  They just don't write features on those shops mind you, but each week, blog readers get a chance to win a lovely item from any of the artisans who are members of that guild.  Check out the guild blog here -- who knows, you may be the lucky winner of this week's giveaway!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eleven more days of Christmas

That's right.  It has been said that the Artfire Christmas in July sale ends on July 25.  But not for Spiral.  I'm extending the sale for another eleven days or until July 30, 2010.  Was thinking that maybe you had not gotten around to starting your shopping this year and giving you more time to do so will be my pleasure.  Check out some of the latest listed items:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Twelve months of promos!

Who says Christmas should be celebrated only once a year? It's my favorite holiday and I thought I'd celebrate it year round with monthly promos and special offers for all those who drop by at my shop on Artfire, Spiral.  Promo announcements, games and giveaways will be announced here at my Artfire blog so be sure to visit often and see what's new! Christmas season starts in August!

Whew! That's twelve days -- and it doesn't stop there.  Artfire and its members are open year round and the sales and promos never stop.  Please don't forget to visit any of the shops featured here for the best deals and the finest handmade items around.

Merry Christmas - in July!

Four Letter Words: SALE (Part 2)

Alright everyone, here we go

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
FIVE DOLLARS OFF!

That's right -- get $5.00 off your total purchase of $25.00 or more!  Get the coupon now - its marked DAY5OF12! And hey, this applies even to items on the lay-away plan.  I told you it's Christmas already!

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Six works of art

 Six stunning pieces of art to hang, frame and display around your home or office.  These are by Designing Rose, Melphoto and Primgal -- three of the talented artisans you will meet on Artfire.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Seven pens to write with

I love to write in longhand.  And I love beautiful pens.  These well-made handcrafted pens are by On Pens and Needles   and Madmoravian.  Check out their shops for their Christmas in July sales offerings!

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eight necklaces

Eight of the one-of-a-kind necklaces you will find on my Artfire shop.  From elegant to boho to just plain pretty -- there are a lot more to choose from.  Have a look!

Now, watch out for part three -- where we go from day 9 to 12 with an offer that goes all year round (whether it's Christmas or not).