Blog Archives

Amy Arcos Pop Art

4/28/2016

Want a fun twist on a portrait? Check out SoDu mom artist Amy Arcos's pop art! She creates custom pop art portraits of kids, couples, babies, pets, families, you name it! How does it work? Send in your favorite photo and you will receive a digital file of your custom design within 48 hours. Then you can have it printed in the format of your choice wherever you'd like!

This is Amy and her husband in one of her fun portraits. She says she began creating these portraits for her wedding stationary and moved on to creating them for loved ones as gifts. "These designs are so versatile - I have put them on tote bags, decoupage, magnets, coffee mugs, you name it. Sometimes the best gift is just one of my portraits in a simple mat frame."

Amy asked me who I'd like to make pop, and I immediately thought of my kids' godfather who is getting married this summer. He and his fiance are fun and their personalities really lend themselves to this style. Their wedding colors are royal blue and yellow, so she used that and transformed this lovely candid shot of them into a gift I'll be having printed on wood. She also did it in less than a day, it was crazy! She even adjusted the hair color and face tones slightly when asked. It's so unique and something they'll adore.

The sky really is the limit! She has a lot of adorable portraits of pets, which you could have printed on their food bowls, or a keychain for yourself. It would also be a touching gift for someone grieving the loss of a pet as a reminder of their late furry friend.

Her prices are also super reasonable!
$20 - One person or pet portrait
$25 - Two people
$30 - 3-4 people

Amy also offers digital downloads of her own pop art. From kitschy pinups to fan art, they would be awesome to put on a phone case or tee shirt before comic-con. Just $8 for 2 large digital print files!

If you want a pop portrait of Amy's in time for Mother's Day, just use the coupon code in the image above before May 6th at her Etsy store at checkout. That gives you time to get the image printed how you want before the big day!

But she has a long running Special discount just for SoDu Posse members...
20% off all custom portrait orders through the end of 2016!
Promo code: SODU2016 (Enter it in checkout at her Etsy store)

So, send Amy Arcos your photos! Pics of you, your partner, your babies, your pets! She does fan art too if you want to send her a celebrity or character. Amy can turn most anything into a quirky and unique gift, made with love, and you'll be supporting a local SoDu mom.

Shop here:
www.etsy.com/shop/AmyMayPopArt

Keep up to speed on the newest pop portraits and specials on her FB page:
www.facebook.com/amymaypopshop

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: In exchange for a blog post here, I received free artwork in order for me to experience her services and review them firsthand. However, the opinions contained here are my own.

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WAKA kickball & social sports

4/19/2016

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Do you need some 'adult' time for yourself where you can meet other parents? Would you like to exercise but need a fun reason? We're starting some Sodu Parents Posse teams with our newest partner, WAKA Kickball & Social Sports - and everyone is a perfect fit. In fact, kickball is perfect for lifelong athletes and those people like me, who didn't "letter" in anything!

What is WAKA Kickball & Social Sports?

WAKA (World Adult Kickball Association) is an adult social sports club (for players who are over the age of 21). WAKA leagues bring back the nostalgia of elementary school recess fun combined with the excitement of college intramurals with a splash of Happy Hours at the bar. While there is a healthy competitive spirit, there is no pressure and players of all levels of experience are welcome. The number one goal is to HAVE FUN! WAKA runs leagues all year round including kickball, bowling, dodgeball, bar games, and sand volleyball. Their focus is on "creating an atmosphere conducive for having fun and meeting new friends." A typical game night includes an hour of games followed by a social at our league bar, and who doesn't need to run around and get energy out after a stressful day at work or with kids, and then unwind with friends afterwards. Pretty rewarding stuff.

Cindy Honickman Carris is Durham's WAKA owner, and a SoDu Parents Posse member. She says, "as a local business owner and also a new mom, I know that it can sometimes be challenging to meet new friends. That’s why I’m hoping we can form some Sodu Parents Posse teams!"

That prospect of a way we could both do a sport together is so exciting to me, who never played sports, and my husband, a lifelong athlete! Plus I'd get to hang out with some of my favorite people, SoDu members!

To find out what WAKA is about you can come check out one of their Happy Hours or events below. Or better yet our upcoming weekend meetup just for Sodu Parents. The date is TBA so stay tuned! Once you see WAKA in person, you will want to join our first ever SoDu league!

Get the most recent info about events and more at the Durham WAKA Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KickballDurhamChapelHill

People from all walks of life join WAKA. College grads wanting friends outside of work, moms looking to find themselves again, people getting in shape, new transplants to the area. Like these happy WAKA players say, it's for everyone.

“Everybody I know is busy all the time with work and everyday stuff. Kickball gives us an excuse to get together each week, lace up the cleats, and have some fun.”
- Tim D.

“I originally got involved because I heard about it from a friend who was starting a team. I fell in love with it. I’ve never done anything else that’s so fun and attracts so many amazing people.”
- Michelle

So how do you get into WAKA? Or just get a taste? Check out your options below!

- Come join them for Tuesday Night Bar Games in Durham starting on April 26th - 8 weeks of fun games like cornhole, bocce, shuffleboard, darts, trivia, etc at various bars around Durham; Team size is 6-8 players, perfect for you and your best friends. And more than just drinks at the bar or another movie. http://www.kickball.com/ncrecess
- Monday Night Sand Volleyball in Chapel Hill starting on May 2nd - 7 weeks of outdoor volleyball at Umstead Park; team size is 6-10 players. Don't you wanna use those court skills from college again? http://www.kickball.com/ncchapelhillvolleyball

Other Summer Leagues with Registrations Opening Soon:
- Monday Night Sand Volleyball starting on June 27
- Sunday Night Bowling starting in mid July
- Tuesday Night Multi-Sport starting in mid July
(email cindy@kickball.com for details on how to register)

And the SoDu team info: Thursday Night Kickball in Durham starting on June 9th - 8 weeks of kickball games at NCCU’s turf field; team size is 16-20 players. Sounds FUN! http://www.kickball.com/ncheat

How about just dropping in for a FREE Pick-Up Game?

April 25 - Sand Volleyball at Umstead Park in Chapel Hill from 6:30-7:30 pm
May 8- Kickball at Southern Boundaries Park in Durham from 11 am-12 pm

So you in? Just email cindy@kickball.com for more info, to join a Sodu team, or to get a promo code for $5 off your league registration!
(All promo codes must be redeemed at least 7 days before the season starts.)

You can also give Cindy a call at 919-492-1898,
check out the Durham website at www.kickball.com/durham
or learn more about kickball, rules, and the origin of WAKA at KICKBALL.COM

Best Parties. Best Games. Best Friends. WAKA!

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: In exchange for a blog post here, I received free enrollment on the kickball team in order for me to experience the program and review it firsthand. However, the opinions contained here are my own.

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Honey Hive Home

4/6/2016

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I will be the first to admit it, I am a study in chaos. I may look like I've got it together but I'm a juggler - and not a very good one. I've never been good at organization - that actually is an understatement. I tend to procrastinate and when I eventually start cleaning and sorting my life and home I tend to not follow through.

Worst of all is how it makes me feel - incapable, overwhelmed, depressed. Having a messy home makes your brain clouded and harms your self esteem. I knew I needed help. That's where Honey Hive Home came in. When I met Hillary Bruce I immediately felt at ease. Her soft smile and kind words reassured me that she could help me, and in hours we made a huge difference in my home in ways I didn't think possible. She taught me methods I still implement months later. And we're only just beginning.

So why Honey Hive Home? Honestly, there is no such thing as perfect and believe me, even the people who look like they have it together on the outside are struggling with something behind the scenes. We are torn in dozens of directions every day - doctor's appointment, the dog ate something and is acting weird, your spouse needs that folder they left at the house, the kid's science project is due tomorrow, the in-laws are coming this weekend, and your book collecting is gathering dust since you are too tired to read at night anymore. When you get down to it, how could one even hope to keep their home organized and free of clutter?! If it doesn't come naturally to you, you're starting from a deficit and it can feel like there is no way to even begin.

Hillary Bruce of Honey Hive Home prides herself in helping to create order and calm through organizational systems that match your goals and life. A professional organizer is helpful to anyone in any situation but can be particularly useful when going through a life transition like marriage and combinations of homes, birth or adoption of a child, home renovations, moving, children leaving home, downsizing, divorce, loss of a loved one, or moving into assisted living. What's unique about HHH is that they "understand that all transitions are full of emotion and are here to lend a hand" and an ear to listen as you process letting go of some items, and helping you to appreciate and treasure what you do keep.

Regardless of the circumstances, their services can make a world of difference. When I started with Hillary's services I too was going through a transition and really needed help. My small house was crammed with medical supplies for my daughter's feeding tube, which the doctors removed in December after years of having to manage her feeding conditions. Hillary helped me to move the items out and therefore move on to a brighter period for our family. Together we pared down everything from kids items, old makeup, college textbooks, clothes that haven't fit me since before my first pregnancy and so much more. Things I knew cognitively but needed someone to hold my hand and tell me it's okay. She asked me what my vision was for various rooms, how I would benefit best from them, and together we rearranged furniture and sorted what we kept. My house looked different on every floor, and just after a few hours of work. It didn't even seem like work (like it would have if I had been alone) because she's such a great and friendly person to talk to, and even though I invited her into the depths of my mess, she never once judged me. We laughed and told stories and the time flew by!

Honey Hive Home focuses on providing:

Expert experience
An unbiased perspective
A set of helping hands to sort through your items
Non-judgmental assistance
Recommendations of systems that will work for your family or business
Practical help to make your space work best for you

Hillary takes her job seriously, as a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. The Honey Hive Home values:

"We prize honesty and integrity above all else. We keep our word and maintain clear communication with our clients.
We maintain confidentiality. We will never share specific details or photographs of client projects without their permission.
We believe in active listening to ensure that we understand the goals of our clients and that we are meeting and exceeding their expectations.
We believe that your home should be a refuge, not a source of stress or anxiety
We believe in working collaboratively with our clients to clear clutter and create systems that will help them to function at a high level.
We believe in maximizing every inch of your space. You put your hard earned money toward each square foot; we help clients put this space to work!
We love to have fun! Whether hauling boxes and bins or getting covered in dust, helping people get organized is our passion. Part of our role is to make the task of organizing manageable for our clients."

"Believe me when I say that I understand what it’s like to be in a space that just isn’t working. Whether it’s a closet that you slam the door on so that things won’t avalanche out onto the floor, a living room that feels cluttered, or a mountain of paperwork burying your office productivity, I can help you infuse order and style into your life."
- Hillary Bruce

How about some free organizing tips from Hillary?

Here's a super easy one for all those kid DVDs and their bulky cases taking up space in your home and car. It's fast and cheap.
http://honeyhivehome.com/2015/03/17/a-space-saving-way-to-organize-dvds/

Plus Hillary is in this month's Durham Magazine with some spring cleaning tips on pages 76-77.
http://issuu.com/shannonmedia/docs/dmapr16/1?e=0/34481215

I'm not the only satisfied client - far from it! Here are some amazing testimonials from happy clients...

One woman desperately wanted an organized closet and detailed the process Honey Hive brought to the task on her blog - http://twinstripe.com/closet-makeover-with-honey-hive-home/. She writes "I had no idea how we were going to tackle that shelf, but Hillary knew exactly what to do. Hillary finally convinced me to get rid of the plastic drawers that I have had since freshmen year of college. She picked out a simple two draw set that can sit on the existing shelf already in the closet. To spice it up, I spray painted the handles to match the shelf. I am storing pajamas in the top draw and workout gear in the bottom – we marked each draw with a fun label. (A pro tip – Hillary suggested that I roll my clothes to save space and make life easier, so far so good!")
"The best piece of advice that I have ever given to a fellow human who was overwhelmed by clutter: stop everything that you're doing and hire Hillary immediately. Not only a skillful organizer, Hillary is also a wholehearted educator. She masterfully navigated me and my fiance through the merger of two sets of household stuff, including plenty of question marks left behind by old roommates. She is extraordinarily patient, efficient, and effective at teaching you how to wrap your brain around placing and keeping your belongings in sensible places after you're done with the de-cluttering." - C.E.
"Hillary helped us organize our lives in ways we never even considered before working with her. Hillary helped us to declutter and organize our home so day to day life is a little easier. If you are looking to simplify your life and have more time for the things you enjoy, I highly recommend Hillary and her organizing skills to help you get there." - C.S.
"Hillary is extraordinarily competent at what she does. I needed help for a very complicated move with little time left while also having to sort through a huge and intimidating mess at my previous place. Hillary came through for me in a wonderfully supportive and reliable way. She was non-judgmental, friendly and warm, and so I felt surprisingly comfortable and at ease about having a new person in my home. I simply could not have done this without her."
"We quickly went through my things, sorted through them, decided what needed to be done and in what order, grouped, separated, packed and arranged them. I also got a ton of moral support just from her relaxed and enthusiastic presence. She is incredibly efficient and provides a superior quality of service. I highly recommend her to anybody reading this."
"She has an excellent visual-spatial sense and is very perceptive about spatial arrangements. She really helps you in your decision-making process about where you want your stuff to be, and what you need to do with it. Give her a call. You will absolutely not regret it and you will be surprised at how fun and engaging organizing your stuff can actually be." - N.D.

Below are great examples of her work (since I'm too embarrassed to post before pictures of my place). Isn't it a world of difference? And it probably took a lot less time than you'd think! I know we got tons done in a very short amount of time.

Check out the spaces below and look how homeowners transformed cluttered spaces simply and quickly with Hillary's help. And you can find even more amazing before and after shots and tips on HHH's instagram here: instagram.com/honeyhivehome

Here is Honey Hive Homes's process:

"Contact us! We will promptly reply and schedule a brief time to chat with you to hear more about what you are hoping to achieve with our services.
If we seem like the right fit for your project, we will schedule a 90-minute assessment (via phone or Skype).
During the assessment, we will talk through your space and discuss how it’s functioning currently, as well as your goals for the future. We will write up our recommendations, including an estimate of cost and time if you decide to hire us to help. If not, no pressure! We will still leave you with several next steps you can try if you aren’t ready to commit quite yet.
Beyond this point, all of our services are customized to meet the needs of our clients! We work in three (or more) hour time blocks in order to make optimal progress toward organizing your hive."

Couldn't be simpler! And that first step is easy, there's no obligation. Just meet Hillary and she'll take it from there.

So how do you get started? Just contact Hillary and go from there!
And what's even better is that Hillary is offering a special deal just for SoDu Parents Posse members...
a free assessment visit (60-90 minutes)
plus 10% off of all sessions booked through 5/31/16.
It's a perfect time to spring clean and make a fresh start while supporting a female owned business. So now is the time - no more postponing. Your organized life awaits!
hillary@honeyhivehome.com
http://honeyhivehome.com/contact/

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: In exchange for a blog post here, I received a free organizing session and discount on further sessions in order for me to experience her services and review them firsthand. However, the opinions contained here are my own.

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