Vintage rules!

I'm getting the system down now for my AristCG's ASOS Marketplace Collection.  Here's a couple pix of my model Chelsea who has always seemed like she walked out of the 60s to me.

A Girl Gotta Do What a Girl Gotta Do!

Oh haven't I said that a lot in my life time!

I can't spend a lot of time whining about the tragedies, hardships, injustices and other struggles in my life--though perhaps I should spend a little time describing some of the former, or how will people begin to comprehend or identify if I don't?  But, I can't.  I am so much like a Vietnam Vet.  It's painful to relive some of these things--near maddening.  So...onward I press!

I am currently without a job for a few months.  I have too much debt after my year with breast cancer and the snowball effect of car troubles that followed.  I have a prick of a brother who took control of all my father's assets, blah blah blah.  No family nor partner to support me.  So...onward I press!

I've always been industrious.  I'll say it again:

A GIRL GOTTA DO WHAT A GIRL GOTTA DO!

Shy of selling my body or drugs...I do what I can, when I can, with what energy I have to try to make a buck here and there.  I'm nickel and dime'n it through life.  I'm making little cactus/succulent gardens & terrariums--Lucky 7 Gardens--though the expense is higher than the return so far.  I'm trying to get my art out there--my photography book In the Bedroom is now available as an ebook!  And now...I'm trying to sell some clothes off my back (well, my closet) on a website based out of London.  It's proven to be extremely time consuming.  There was the time spent photographing my models, and then days of doing photo facials and other editing to the images.  Then, and entire day--yes, entire day--just to get one entire outfit posted on the site!  phew  I hope I can narrow down the time spent on this process as I go along.  I hope it pays off.

Here are a few images and a link to my collection at asos Marketplace:   ArtistCG's collection

A couple of the outfits I will have to reshoot :( because though I thought I read all there was to read about the requirements, I didn't see that you could only have one person per photo until I went to list the items.  Chasity & Que sure look adorable in the shots of them together, so they'll be happy to have them anyway--and I like them too!  :)

Lucky Valentine!

I'm on a roll with my Lucky 7 Gardens! 

Production got slowed a bit yesterday when my shelves in my studio room about came crashing down!  My good ol' neighbor Jerry helped me secure them today.  I'm hesitant to put much on them now though.  :p  So, I need to hit up IKEA soon to get a couple more for the other wall.  Gotta make room for all these plants!  I had boxes (storage/organizer boxes from yah IKEA) on the 2 shelves I have up, tried to move them all to the top shelf with the intent to put my plants on the lower shelf, but um nope.  Now, the storage boxes are just stacked on the floor.  blah

Yeah, I've got good neighbors and I'm soooo #grateful!!!!  My mama would be happy that I have these people in my life who care for me and look out for me.  Whenever I make a run somewhere like Lowes with Jerry, he likes to stop and get me a hamburger.  I love this--he's kinda like a dad to me, in a dysfunctional sort of way, but a good dysfunction!  Yesterday, my neighbor Sue emptied some canned goods out of her cupboards for me.  I'm used to giving the postman bags of food from my cabinets when there is a food drive, but mine are near empty & so is my fridge.  I haven't been this low on food in a long time.  I am #grateful to both of these dear neighbors of mine!  I feel so blessed to live in this community with such good people.  Then tonight, my friend Fernando's mom--Noris--brought me some groceries over from her house.  I like being on the giving end of things, and receiving often makes me feel uncomfortable, but I learned a lesson from someone who reached out to give to me during my breast cancer time of need -- she said that if I like to give, and it makes me feel good to give, then I should allow someone else to do that for me, and to have that feeling too.  What a sweetheart!  That was Kathy--the woman who took me in when I attempted to work after losing my previous job due to my health (more or less).  Life is Good.  I miss my mama.  My brother & sister have broken my heart & the ties are broken, but I've always been one to believe that everything happens for a reason.  Even the dark, blue, tragic mess that some of us have to go through, it leads us someplace, and for me...that place is here right now, and yeah....I'm #grateful.

A few shots of the newbies:

past midnight but here's some succulent pix!

 Tiffany Blue Succulent Garden - love the color of the dish & the powdery blue succulents!

 These Japanese tea cups with mini cactus trees 

would make great little take home gifts for a dinner party!

 Vintage glasses made adorable Cactinis!

These would work great for a garden/dinner party too!

You can see my collection and watch it grow on my FB page:  Lucky 7 Gardens by ArtistCG

All are available for purchase if you live in West Michigan!

If you live elsewhere in the U.S. it's possible to ship, but there would be added cost, 

and I'd have to disassemble them to make them safe for travel!