Go Gators!

now that the holiday chaos had simmered, it's time to update a few things, including the Blog! next to the growth charts (i'm currently working on a Dora one and yet another Yankees chart) my photo frames are becoming a very popular item. they make such great gifts and are so personal.

and since i'm in Gator Nation (at least amongst our friends here in S. FL), i'm not surprised at this order for a few Gator frames. Go Gators!

charts, charts and more charts!

i swear i do know how to do more than just sports-themed growth charts! but i will admit, that they are pretty fun to do. i'm such a mom of boys. :)

here are two of my latest - the first two that i had to ship instead of hand-delivering.

i'm happy to report that i have confirmation that both chart made it to their destinations intact and unharmed, and just under $20 in shipping costs, despite the 10-14" of snow falling in upstate NY.

so honored!

i am truly honored to be featured as a Momtrepreneur of the Month on my friend, Melissa Surprise's blog/website! check it out!

i first met Melissa through a mutual friend/neighbor in NY and hired her to take newborn photos of my son, brody, when he was born. Two and a half years and a few more photo sessions later, i now consider melissa a friend, as well! she's an extremely talented photographer and i have enjoyed watching her reap the benefits of hard work as her business has grown and flourished.

not only am i grateful for this recognition, but i am also extremely excited to announce that Melissa is now a published photographer and my son, Brody, is her published work! Melissa submitted a few photos of Brody taken during one of our many photo sessions to a woman named Nicole Giladi - author of Little Redheads Across America. Nicole loved the photos and loved Brody (how can you not??) - and her book is now out and available for purchase on her website: www.littleredheadbook.com. I'm expecting a few copies on my doorstep today!

(Updated to add that Brody's photo is indeed on the Florida page - page 22 and on the inside of the back cover - what a cute book! Nicole did a fantastic job of putting it all together!)





so thank you, Melissa, for featuring TyBro Treasures and ME as your Momtrepreneur of the Month - and for taking such great pictures of my boys over the past few years!

and thank you, Nicole, for wanting to use Brody's photo in your amazing project and giving him such a unique and wonderful keepsake!

go team!

i first made this family a growth chart about 3 years ago. mom and dad wanted a baseball-themed chart for their first-born all-star. since then, they've added to their team with twin boys, anthony and nicholas, so mom and dad recruited me to make two more charts! go team!

blasphemy!

i'm probably going to be tarred and feathered for this one, but i'm actually very proud of how it turned out. i made this growth chart for a friend in NY (and our favorite photographer - shameless plug). i asked her if it was sacrilegious for a Yanks fan to make a Red Sox growth chart...and she asked if it was sacrilegious for a Sox fan to take pictures of a Yanks fan. touche!

my only hope is that her boys outgrow this chart and ask for a yankees one at some point!

3 brothers

i got an order from a friend of mine in NY, a mother of 3 boys (ages 6, 4.5 and 2.5), who was looking for a unique gift that her boys could give each other for christmas. they all have such different personalities (and did i mention they were all boys?!?)

i'm in awe of how she manages them while running 2 side businesses of her own. but that doesn't stop her from trying to instill the value of appreciating the very special bond of brothers. i designed the frames with their favorite colors and personality traits - and she's hoping she can get a picture to capture all 3 of their personalities...i'll leave that part to her!

michael - the sensitive and genuine oldest brother

evan - the adventurous middle brother

andrew - the playful baby brother

new product - christening plaque!

a friend of mine emailed recently and asked if i had had ever done any religious items. she was looking for something special to give her nephew as a christening gift since she is the godmother. this is what i came up with - and realized that there are a host of items that i hadn't even explored yet! i'm always open to suggestions/requests, so send your ideas my way.

new product: keepsake boxes

this product came to be because of my older son. we planned a trip to st. augustine, fl last weekend to visit family and take in a Blue Angels air show. to get him excited about the trip, i created this keepsake box for him. he literally hovered over my should the entire time i was putting it together and didn't want to put the box down all weekend. he had a blast filling it with trinkets from the show - a Blue Angels coin, a pin, a toy plane, a patch, etc. he even got two of the pilots to sign his box!
these boxes get my wheels turning...they are great for holding all the little things we tend to collect during our outings - a trip to the beach, a trip to Disney, a day at the zoo, etc.

and for the record, if you have never been to a Blue Angels air show, try to get to one in your lifetime. it's truly amazing!

new and improved: photo cube!

(top of cube)

i love the photo cubes i discovered a while back - i've made them for a few friends and for my husband's office desk and he tells me people are always commenting on it. but i wasn't entirely happy with the plastic cubes - i didn't like that the surface area of the sides were so small and limiting and that you could see the glue dots through the plastic.

i've been on the hunt for a wooden version of this cube and have, at last, found one! it's slightly larger (bonus) and it's wood. i can now add a host of embellishments that i was limited with on the plastic cubes.

(i made this cube for my sister-in-law for christmas...merry christmas, dawn!)

(bottom of cube - a spot for a personalized message)

price - $15/cube (plus shippiing)

new product - personalized photo frames!

i'm in the process of adding new products - the first of which are, simply enough, photo frames - with a touch of TyBro flair, of course! i love finding a good quote, phrase or definition that captures the essence of the photo or the subject(s). Thank you to my friend and NY photographer, melissa surprise, for capturing my two 'curious' boys in action and helping me fill these handmade frames with some greats shots.

frames are $15/each (plus shipping if applicable) and can be personalized with a name. designed to accent your decor style/color scheme or describe the photo or person(s) on display.

"brothers" frame shown below fits 4x6 photo. 3x5, 5x7, and 8x10 frames also available (pricing will vary).



the "precious girl" photo frame below is a great gift as an individual frame or better yet, displayed in a "first year series" on a nursery wall.

i have "first year" frames in both my boys' rooms where you add a tiny, little photo every month, up to 1 year. while i love the idea of documenting the changes from newborn to age 1 with photos, i don't like how small the photos have to be to fit in that frame. plus i couldn't add key "milestone" phrases like "rolled over", "sat up", "first solids", "first tooth", "crawling", etc. to mark that month's significant accomplishment. with these frames, you can have one frame for each of the 12 months in the first year (at a discounted price for purchasing the 'series') AND personalize them with your baby's milestones.

that's the kind of thing that makes any new mom smile as we desperately try to document every amazing thing our amazing children do!


$15/frame or buy "first year series" (6 or more) at a discounted rate of $9/frame

("precious girl" frame shown as a part of a first year series - add a month marker (shown) and specific milestone - "Abby rolled over, back to front!")
(and yes, another christmas present - merry christmas, jenny!)

Bringing the Battle to Sarcoma

just over a year ago, my husband's younger brother, Kirk, was diagnosed with Sarcoma - soft tissue Cancer. he went in to have his knee pain evaluated and came out with the words "Sarcoma" reeling in his head. in november of last year, Kirk went in for surgery unsure of how much of his leg and/or the muscle would be gone when he woke up. regardless of the possible outcomes, Kirk's determination shined through.

(photo taken on the day of surgery)

not only did Kirk's surgery go smoothly but his doctors took out less muscle than they originally thought and Kirk has spent the past year training for the Austin Longhorn Half Ironman. this past weekend, in Austin, TX, Kirk, his wife Dawn, and a team of 35 (including my husband - go Kev Daddy!), completed the Austin Longhorn Half Ironman which consisted of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run (totaling 70.3 miles). suffice it to say, i am in awe of this accomplishment. hats off to the Sarcoma Team on this incredible feat! i wish i could have been there to be a part of this amazing experience!

my sister-in-law, Dawn, making it look easy!

my nephews on the side of the road waiting to slap hands with mom and dad



Kev Daddy giving a wave

Kirk (left) and Kevin

For more updates and for information on Veterans for Sarcoma, click on:

http://veteransforsarcoma.com/default.aspx

while Kirk is still coming down off the weekend and trying to get back into his normal routine, he said briefly, "This was an amazing weekend - and we definitely took the battle to Sarcoma. Many of us still have the body pain to prove it!"

spreading the word

a big thank you to Anne Hart with www.southernmamas.com for giving me an opportunity to promote TyBro Treasures on their website (beginning Nov 1st). "Southern Mamas" looks every bit the 'savvy source for moms in Savannah, the Lowcountry and beyond'. i appreciate the opportunity to share my wares!

and thank you to my former student, Elisa (Pompili) Preston who lives in Savannah and suggested I contact Anne. (Elisa - it's still hard for me to take that one of my former students is now married!)

welcome home, little one!

i was honored to do these letters for sweet Baby Alivia - the niece of a friend of mine from college. she was born 3 months premature, weighing only 1 lb 14 oz. and her aunt (my friend) wanted to give her parents something "cool" and "unique". my instructions were to keep in mind the family spirit and how tough this little girl is going to be after she conquers all this. her name, Alivia, begins with an "A", like all the women in her family. i'm happy to report that Alivia is very much Alive and showing true spirit - and finally Home from the hospital!

i will be donating to the March of Dimes in honor of spunky, little Alivia.

let the letters say it

i love these 9" letters! there are so many possibilities with them, not only with the word you choose but with the decor style. plus they look great in any room - on a wall or resting on a shelf.

letters are $12/each
Click here to order: TyBro Treasures