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So we lasted about 4 winters in Wisconsin before my husband declared he would loose his mind if he didn’t get to a warmer climate.  It was dreary February, my sister just moved to Scottsdale, AZ, so I decided to take a trip to see her.  Check out the place.  See what it’s like in the desert.  The morning after I arrived, I went for a walk on this beautiful path, full of amazing plant life- brilliant oranges, reds and purples surrounding huge saguaros.  It was breathtaking.  Then I heard it- the bird.  There is a bird that lives on the island in Mexico that I’d hear everyday.  It’s a very unique sounding bird (although I can’t remember the name).  I heard it and it stopped me dead in my tracks.    Then I decided, we’re moving to Arizona.  I based our decision on a bird.

I’m an Artist, Designer, PR Agent, Copywriter, Web Tech, Printer, Packager, Customer Service Rep, Accountant, Philanthropist, Wife and Mom.

 Within 6 months I was running my own business out of my home. I quickly learned what it meant to wear all of the many hats a business owner has. It was incredibly challenging, but also totally rewarding. I was so fortunate to have my boys with me along the way. I would drag my youngest son to bank meetings and art events with me. I figured since I was selling children's art I didn't have to make an excuse for the presence of my children.  It was an adventure, to say the least.

One day a friend of mind asked me why I didn't sell my artwork on Etsy.com. I was clueless as to what Etsy was, but after looking at it, it didn’t seem that hard. I was already running an online business and thought I could easily give it a shot. I posted a few pieces on the site and within the first week I had my first order. It was for $300 and I was ecstatic. I kept going with it, one creation and sale at a time. That’s where I got my real start and I will forever be grateful to Etsy. 

While living on the island, I learned from my dear friend, Molly Fisher (now founder of PEACE), how we could use our connections with the tourist population to raise funds for the local people. We would hold art events in my coffee shop, fundraisers on the street, etc. Molly eventually moved to Vallarta and founded PEACE (protection and Education of Animals, Culture and Environment) and one of the first projects she and I worked on together was creating a gallery/workshop for a local co-op. It was a success and from that we created and opened the Art and Philanthropy Gallery. I focused on the online presence in the states while she created the product with the women in Mexico. I would then promote and sell our products.