I just love browsing Etsy. One could look all day and still find something new to love. Here are few of my recent finds:)
www.matilou.etsy.com
www.madisonreecedesigns.etsy.com
www.thatfunkyboutique.etsy.com
***le sigh***
Last year around this time I shared some Etsy finds in order to inspire some holiday shopping at what I think is one of the most incredible shopping sites around. This year is no exception. I picked items that were already on my wish list(and on my list of faves) and had way too much fun scouring the gift guides for wonderful items I think you need to see. So here it is, my Etsy finds for this holiday season.
Isn't that gorgeous! Jeanne has got to be one of the sweetest most inspiring women I have had the pleasure of meeting in this blog world. She inspires to me to go after my dreams and to be true to myself. I would love to try some altered art sometime too. It is just lovely. You can find this here at A Bushel And A Peck.
I'm not sure where I could wear this gorgeous vintage inspired dress by Audrey And Grace but isn't it divine! Wouldn't it look cute with these from B Poetic?
I love felt food for kids and this shop has some of the cutest that I have seen. They are patterns though, so you need to get crafty if you want them. You can find them at July Hobby.
I stumbled across these little beauties by Leslie Jansonand was instantly in love. Wouldn't these look gorgeous hanging on an all white Christmas tree!
I am in LOVE with this blouse from Lirola. It is available in different colors but I just love the soft pattern on this one. I would love to pair it with one of these gorgeous headbands from Miss Ruby Sue.
One of these necklaces from New Fashioned Whispers would be the perfect finishing touch.
The Back Porch Shoppe had tons to choose from but I really love these numbers. I could picture 100 different ways to use them.
Le sigh. This is just pure perfection. Sara has such a great eye and has the most beautiful treasures in her shop. Sadie Olive is one of my favorites.
This little vase from Red Hot Pottery is so cute I'm not sure if I could put anything in it!
I want this necklace so bad I almost didn't put it here for fear that someone else might snap it up. It is by Red Heart 13and I just LOVE it. I added it to my Wishpot just in case someone, and I am not sayingg who, might be looking for a good anniversary or Christmas gift for me. Just sayin'.....
Last but not least is a little something from a shop that I absolutely adore for funky pieces for my daughter's wardrobe. In fact, she is wearing a Courtney Courtney dress right now!
These are just some of the great things available at Etsy right now. Perhaps sometime I will have to do an Etsy Love post for all of the fantastic kids products that are there too. Until then I hope you have seen something that you like and are inspired to take alook at all that Etsy has to offer:)
I learned a valuable lesson today abotu sick days and why one takes them. I was unfortunate enough to come down with who-knows-what a couple days ago right as I was planning a few marathon work days to get orders finished and inventory made up for this coming weekends festival. Saturday I felt it coming on but pushed through and sewed for about 8 hours. I really regretted that later that night and the next morning. Still feeling awful I decided to get up Sunday morning and get the family ready for church. I held my own thorugh church in between hot and cold flashes and a constantly running nose with the idea that after a little rest I could get back to work. Fast forward to later that day as I lay comatose on the coucj and you will understand why that did not end up happening. Well, today I woke up still feeling like I was hit by a mack truck but fully determined to get back to work. That was also a bit of a mistake. I thought that i was doing well and really moving along until I realized that I had sewn a bodice onto the inside of a dress. Now I am going to try to clear my blurry eyes long enough to undo all of that worka nd start over again tomorrow. This, it seems, is why one should take sick days when one is to sick to see straight. I hope that the same does not hold true for blogging or I might regret this post tomorrow.
On the bright side my sister just took the kids for a bike ride and I am alone in blessed silence. I just got out of, get this, an UNINTERUPTED shower! If you are not familiar with this elusive beast you really must try it out sometime. Imagine bathing in utter silence with nothing but your thoughts to keep you comapny and the door closed. The door closed!!!! No one bursting in to ask what is taking you so long, or to report the misdeeds of a brother or sister. No ear-piercing shrieks that make you run dripping from the shower horrified at what you might find to see your youngest throwing a tantrum about some silly little thing. It was glorious folks. Pure magic, and I will treasure it always.
For those waiting patiently for your orders, do know that I will get them to you as soon as possible. I am truly sorry for your wait but it will just be a few days more before you package is arriving on your doorstep.
Let us see if I can't find a picture to tie up this post neatly......
One could recover quite quickly in a bed like that, no?
There are so many goodies floating around the internet today. I thought that I should share what I have a crush on this morning;)
First up is Wishpot. With Wishpot you can create lists of hot new items that you have found, things that you love and gift ideas for friends, family, whoever. No more hinting to your hubby about that new purse you're lusting after. Add him as a "friend" and he can see what you want at a glance. You might even be suprised when he gives you something off of your list that you had forgotten was there. I have the button right in my toolbar so that anytime I spot something new that I love I don't have to try to remeber where I saw it or write it down, I can simply click my Add to Wishpot button and add it to my list. Try it out. It's fantastic!
Next up is a site that I have been a member of for a few months and absolutely adore. Clickin Moms. This is a photography forum for moms who long to have aphotograohy business, already have one and want to help others and grow themselves and just for moms who want to take better pictures of their kids. Everyone is so helpful and encouraging and just plain fun. I have really been enjoying myself there. Warning...it's highly addictive;)
You all know how I love Etsy, but I seriously find something new to love about it everyday. From the support they have for business owners to the unbelievably talented artists that you can find there, I am a huge fan. Here are some goodies that I found there recently.
I've shared Belle and Boo before but had to add it again. I just adore this shop. The artist is so good at capturing emotion in each and every picture. Precious.
I am a big fan of floral headbands but the latest ones on the market seem to big for me to wear and not feel like a spectacle. I was thrilled to find Be Something New. Here is a take on the floral headband that is absolutely wearable. I want one in every color. They are delicate and beautiful and just the thing to spruce up my tired mommy wardrobe. Love.
As those that have been reading my blog for a while now know, I am enamored of children's books and one of my faves is Alice In Wonderland. My last post I briefly shared that I will be joining in a blog party at the end of the month that is a Mad Hatter Tea Party. I am so excited to participate in this. I purchased the above items from Lilla Lotta and Piddix. I can't wait to create something fun with them.
Moving on from Etsy, I had to share some new items from one of my favorite shops, Ruche. I've got to have them for summer!
Another goodie that I thought that I would share is Small Magazine. Small is an indie online mag with some of the most creative articles and exquisite indie clothing lines you can find. I find so much inspiration and beauty in every single issue. I stumbled upon Small early last year and have been looking forward to every new issue since. Seriously, check it out.
Last but not least is the unbelievably, incredibly, rediculously talented Heather Bullard. She launched her nnewly remodeled website on Monday with all new goodies to accompany the gorgeously redesigned site. This women has got it in spades. Her blog has been one of my favorites for the past few years as well. If your not a reader, you should be.
I hope you have found some new things to love today:)
Our brief affair with sunny days and frolicking outdoors seems to be over for the moment. We are rained in.
The kids are finding fun where they can.
I have a ton of work to get to but the dreary weather is making me very unproductive. Yup, it's that darn weather;) I did add a couple of things to my blog including some links to super sweet reviews of Little Lotti. Aren't they nice? Okay, off to do something. Anything....
I finally got a chance to play around with Lightroom 2 today and thought that I would share a few of my pics. I am still learning the ins and outs of my new camera but I am having so much fun! The following photos are from a little photo shoot that I made my daring sister sit for. Yes, they are pretty much all in B&W or some other affect but that is all I know how to do in Lightroom at the moment.
I just took this personality test called "Are you a Jackie or a Marylin? Or someone else? Madmen-era personality quiz" here. I don't know how I always get sucked into these;) Here are my results.
You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"
Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
How to Get Along with Me
What I Like About Being an Audrey
What's Hard About Being an Audrey
Audreys as Children Often
Audreys as Parents
Happy Thursday!
I saw this meme on Nathalie's blog and thought I would play along. My girlfriends love emailing these sort of things. I usually find the info kind of random but I do enjoy learning random things about people:)
Where is your mobile phone? Diaper Bag
Where is your significant other? Couch
Your hair color? Brown/Black
Your mother? Giving
Your father? Strong
Your favorite thing? Pretty Things
Your dream last night? Strange
Your dream goal? Happiness
The room you're in? Living Room
Your hobby? Lots
Your fear? Anything bad happening to my kids(okay not one word;)
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Running a sucessful business with mu hub. & kids happy
Where were you last night? Here
What you're not? two-faced
One of your wish-list items? MakeItWork necklace
Where you grew up? Michigan
The last thing you did? Watched Steven Colbert Christmas Special
What are you wearing? Pj's
Your TV? On
Your pets? The boys have 2 hamsters and a fish
Your computer? PC
Your mood? Tired(I know that's not a mood but it sums me up pretty well right now)
Missing someone? Yes
Your car? Minivan
Something you're not wearing? Makeup
Favourite shop? Anthropologie
Your summer? Short
Love someone? Eternally
Your favorite color? Pink
When is the last time you laughed? Now
When is the last time you cried? Earlier
So I'm not that great at following the rules, oh well! If you decide to play along on your blog let me now so I can come visit:)
And just because,
Get ready for some super weird random facts about me. I have been tagged by the sweet Inka of Inklings designs. The rules are for me to share 7 things about myself and then tag others to participate, so here goes!
1. I am a bit of a pop culture junkie. I know a ton of useless information about music, tv, movies, etc. My sister and I love to see who can whip whom at games like Trivial Pursuit, the Scene It game series and more. We were huge fans of Rock and Roll Jeopardy and the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. We play Jeopardy on the Playstation and have fun one-upping each other. When we were younger my uncle used to amuse us on car rides by putting the radio on the search mode and we would all see who could name songs the fastest. I guess you could say this is a bit of a family trait;)
2. I have a major sweet tooth. I'm not kidding. It is actually pretty disgusting how much I love sweets. When we were dating my husband used to bring me a 2 lb bag of assorted candies every week. Of course I was dancing then so it didn't stay with me. I certainly can't get away with that anymore! Dessert is the best food on earth.
3. When I was younger I took piano lessons, played the flute, sang everywhere I could and acted. I had aspirations of being a Broadway star. When the kids are a bit older, if I haven't completely fallen apart, I plan to do community theatre if they'll have me.
4. I am a bookworm. I love to read lots of different things. I read pretty fast too, so I can get through books in a day(if my children let me;). I think that I am raising little bookworms as well. My oldest son taught himself to read at 4 years old and has been devouring books ever since. My husband and I actually read to each of our children when they were in utero. It was a special time for us that we were able to slow down and connect with our unborn children. You do know that when we found out that our last baby was a girl I made my husband start Anne of Green Gables that very night!
5. I fall asleep really quickly. I mean, really quickly. One night I told my husband that if he wanted to talk he had better do it fast because I would probably be asleep within the next 3 minutes. He laughed at me and said that while I do fall asleep quickly, that would be ridiculously fast. The next morning he told me that he was watching the clock and I was asleep after 2 minutes! You would think that I am falling down with exhaustion every night but that is just how I am.
6. I have a huge spider phobia. Just typing that has my skin crawling. Having kids has made me a bit better. I will actually kill them now, where before I would flip out until someone else did it. Don't get me wrong, if my husband is home he is still the bug killer.
7. Before my first c-section delivery I had plans to deliver naturally with the Bradley Method. My friends thought I was crazy but I wanted a completely drug-free, all-natural birthing experience. The thing that makes this weird is the fact that I am a big wimp. I stub my toe and it is an emergency situation, so who knows what made me think I could give birth with no drugs. Of course it ended up being a moot point when I needed to be induced and ended up with a cesarean. Oh well.
Okay, let's see what ladies I can pick to play along...
1. Shari
2. Nathalie
3. Andrea
4. Sita
5. Jen
