{Featured Artist: LetterHappy}

Update:
The 10% shop discount with Letter Happy is good through Thursday, January 28.

Here at Gussy has a lot to say we love to look at all things beautiful. Beautiful wall art, beautiful winter accessories, beautiful stories about family life.

Today marks week #10 of my series on featured Etsy artists. It is my goal to introduce some drool-worthy eye-candy. Over the next few months I'll be showcasing hand-selected Etsy artists that offer products that I think will appeal to you, my readers :)

Please join me in welcoming Christen at letterhappy.

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Where do you call home? Are you from there originally? i was born and raised in mobile, alabama. it's the second largest city in Alabama, but somehow still retains a little bit of that small town feel. i stayed here for college, and can't wait to raise my family here one day.


Name something unique to where you live. we have a battleship parked in mobile bay. what what.



Share a little bit about yourself. i'm 23 years old. i graduated from spring hill college (go badgers!) with a degree in art business and a minor in graphic design. i'm an only child. i have a wonderful family, loving friends, and the best dog in the world. i'm obsessed with disney world. i'm not a fan of capital letters. i have way too many stuffed animals. i like odd numbers, the beach, and playing in the rain. i always have music playing. it drives my roommates (parents) crazy, but it makes me more creative.



If you had to describe yourself in a word, what would that word be? supercallifragilisticexpialidocious. haha, just kidding. i have no idea. and i ramble, so the longest word ever seemed like the perfect response. see how i've turned this one-word answer into a paragraph?

What made you decide to open up shop? i am NOT a 9-5 girl. never have been, never will be. i like my freedom and i love being my own boss. i'd much rather create what i want to create rather than being told what to do. etsy seemed like the perfect way to accomplish all of this.

Do you have a day job or sell on Etsy full-time? i sell on etsy full-time. i graduated college in may 2008, took the next summer off, worked at disney world from august - december 2008, and opened shop in january 2009. i've spent the past year completely immersed in my work, hoping to get it to the point where i won't ever need a day job. i have wonderfully supportive parents who i live with, which obviously cuts down on certain expenses like rent. it's not quite there yet, but i'm confident and optimistic that it will be!



Give us a little glimpse into what a typical day in your life looks like. i typically get up and going around 8:30 or 9:00, relist items that have sold overnight, and then start on packaging. i answer any convos as they come in and work on completing my custom orders. i take a break around 12:00 or 1:00 to eat lunch, and then it's back to packaging. if i finish that, then i'll get working on a new design or two. i always try to keep the shop updated and fresh. around 3:30 or 4:00, i head out to the post office. (yes, every day) when i come home, i take my little fuzzy baby, macy (mini schnauzer) for our daily walk. dinner is around 5:00 or 6:00, and then it's tv/movie time for pretty much the rest of the night. our tivo has taken over our lives.


Share with us a favorite Etsy purchase or shop. one of my favorite items i've gotten from etsy (as a birthday present) is this ring from PatrickIrlaJewelry. a few of my favorite shops are: ememem.etsy.com, misnopalesart.etsy.com and yorktownroad.etsy.com.


What are three of your favorite foods? pasta, sushi, and mcdonald's double cheeseburgers.




What would you like to learn to do? surf. i've grown up on the gulf coast beaches, but our waves are nothing like the ones out in california or hawaii. except during hurricanes of course, but i'm not THAT crazy.


What are you listening to right now? i'd have to say my most recent favorite album is the new one from onerepublic. it's called "waking up". i love the eclectic mix of styles they incorporate into their music. every song sounds different, but it's still unmistakably them.



Name one place you must visit in your lifetime and why. hawaii. as i said earlier, i want to learn to surf and i think that would be a great place to do so. i'm also absolutely in love with their native language and would like to learn to speak it.

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Now for something fantastically fun!

Christen is offering everyone 10%-off their order from her shop!

*Browse cards, prints, stickers, Moleskin's or 2010 calendars*


Please enter "Gussy Featured Artist" in the Message to Seller section at checkout.
This discount is good through Thursday, January 28.

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Please check back Friday, January 29 for yet another Featured Artist post!
xo.