Erin Leigh is a mixed media collage artist, meaning she uses paper, paint, pastels, markers, and anything she can find basically to create. She combines rich texture and color with quotes and scripture that encourage. The result is pretty amazing. I have fallen in love with her work—as has my 9 year old who really wants me to buy her one of Erin Leigh’s original pieces. Apparently, she’s developed her own desire for original art, so cultured she is.

Erin Leigh told me –

The orphan crisis weighs heavy on my heart. We are not in a place to adopt right now, so I love that i can be a part of this in some small way. . . . I’ve always seen adoption on this earth as a beautiful metaphor for the life that we have been given in Christ . . . We are sons and daughters of the king. We’ve been saved and adopted by our God, and it is impossible to read God’s word and not hear his heart for the fatherless, for the orphan, for the least of these. I am in awe of the families who open their hearts and homes to God’s little ones. I am thrilled to be able to use the gifts that God has given me to help bring even one of these children home, just as I have been called home, through his grace.

I’m so pumped to have Erin partner with us for the third year. Order one (or two or three) prints or an original piece of art (before Ashlyn convinces me to) to encourage you daily in your own home. I think you need one encouraging you daily like I have where I like to sit and read with mug in hand.

Lindsey has her hands full. As a mother of three girlies (two biological darlings and one sweetie adopted from Ethiopia, all doubling as super models), a foster parent to several more, and keeper of a bunch of creatures on their hobby farm, she still manages to run a small business, Polka Dot Pearl, which she just opened at the beginning of 2013.

You may notice it’s been quite a success already. Every Tuesday night, she posts new things on her Facebook page and the comments start rolling in with who wants what size. Whatever’s left gets added to the website the next day.

Working with several women across the world who help her find the perfect pieces to carry, Lindsey always look for clothing that is different than what you can find in other stores, things that will make little girls want to dance and twirl. She loves fun colors, ruffles, lace, outfits with extra cute details, etc. Through Polka Dot Pearl, she wants little girls to be able to be able to wear clothes they feel good in and express who they are.

With an adopted daughter and a heart for serving through foster care, Lindsey was thrilled to partner with The Sparrow Fund this month along with 50+ businesses to give 10% of their total sales this May to support adoptive families. And, this week, Lindsey is giving away something super twirly here so that we can drive some traffic over here and raise awareness of the Build the Nest fundraiser going on this month to benefit The Sparrow Fund’s work to support adoptive families.

So, go ahead and enter to win a twirly dress in pink or blue. And, go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them this month, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This one’s a biggie, folks, and it’s all together in a fun package only for adoptive or preadoptive families to enter. Just something special for them, because I like little special somethings.

Let me tell you a bit about all these places…

—Mom through adoption from China, Lisa Murphy wrote With an Open Heart just last year to share the story of their son Daniel, a precious boy born in Nanchang, China who became their son and will remain a part of their family tree forever even though he now lives with Jesus. His life, even though it was short, is a legacy forever preserved in Lisa’s words.

—Adoptive mom and child/adolescent therapist by trade, Kristan Struck set out to give adoptive families a way to introduce conversations in age appropriate ways about birthparents and the loss that surrounds adoption. She wrote A Family for Eve about a little chick found in a farmyard who quickly gets paired up with Cleo the cat, a mama cat who has three kittens as well as a bunny and duck she mothers. Her book is most appropriate for both domestic (closed) or any international adoptions. Our Lydia thinks the animals are “so cute,” and I think this is a helpful read when someone close to us is pregnant. And, the author donates 10% of the proceeds from the book to a different cause each month. Love that.

—Sharla Kostelyk, mother of 9 and blogger, has published two books—Shield and That These Two Will Live. Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families is only 60 pages, totally readable, and is full of good reminders and hints for families from someone who knows. Here’s my favorite quote from it:

This time will not last forever. Give yourself permission to get through it without doing everything perfectly. Allow yourself grace and give the same to your spouse.

Word. You can download it here from Amazon. In her second book, That These Two Will Live, she tells the story of faith and determination as Mark and Sharla overcame bureaucracy, media attention, and financial challenges to bring home their son and daughter from Ethiopia after their adoption agency went bankrupt, stranding 43 children in a transition home.

—Grafting is the most tangible illustration we have of what adoption is. Colleen Marquez has masterfully brought that illustration to life in A Gift For Little Tree through words and color for our little ones (and the rest of us who may pretend we’re reading it only for them). I’ve seen a preview of this book and personally can’t wait to see the final copy. It’s beautiful, and you know I’m super picky about our adoption books. Colleen has her project on Kickstarter only until May 26th. And, she’s just about at the goal she needs to print this book. If you give only $25, you will get a first edition, hardback, signed copy of the book as soon as it is published. Better head over there now, not sure that offer will still be good once the goal is met!

—Kelly Apisa started the Minus 1 Project to fundraise for their own adoption when they were bringing home their 5th child. After he came home, they continued their work to help other families fundraise for their adoptions offering lots of things like tshirts and gifts with an adoption theme.

—Jiayin Designs, which I’m personally a part of, brings handmade treasures from China all over the world, specializing in custom, handcut sterling silver charms of Chinese characters. Jiayin’s name charms are the most popular item followed by their handmade zodiac animals and Niu Niu dollies. Sales not only employ Chinese artisans but help support Chinese natives who work for the nonprofit IECS serving Chinese university students through English teaching and relationships.

—Portrait Artist Marla Michele Must of Enchanted Photography, is the proud mom of three and lives in Metro Detroit. As an adoptive mom to a princess from China and an advocate for children around the world, Marla has teamed up with orphan advocate and author Kay Bratt for a collaborative project illuminating real-life adoption stories through words and images. This compelling project will give a snapshot of tears, trauma, laughter and joys of the unforgettable gift of building a family.

All of these people are a part of Building the Nest this May for The Sparrow Fund either by sponsorship or by donating at least 10% of their total sales this month so that The Sparrow Fund can continue to support adoptive families. AND, they are sponsoring this big ole adoption giveaway to raise awareness about this fundraiser and get people shopping!

Here’s what’s included (a combined value of approximately $250):

• A signed copy of Lisa Murphy’s book With an Open Heart
• A signed copy of Kristan Struck’s children’s book A Family for Eve
• A e-book copy of Sharla Kostelyk’s Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families
• A hard copy of Sharla Kostelyk’s That These Two Will Live
• A signed, first edition copy of Colleen Marquez’ A Gift for Little Tree
• A blue Got Love t-shirt from Minus 1 Project
• A $25 gift certificate to Jiayin Designs
• A photography minisession with Marla Michele Must in Birmingham, Michigan area (note: if you aren’t local to her and win, you may gift this package to another adoptive family!)

Enter this giveaway and go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway