Today is Etsy Day!

Have you ever shopped at Etsy?
Etsy is an online marketplace where you can buy unique beautifully handcrafted items, vintage items, & supplies for your own crafting needs!


Check out this notice about getting the word out in regards to Etsy Day!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/events/etsy-sellers-unite-for-etsy-day-join-in-3821/

In honor of etsy day I'm offering free shipping in my shop to all!
http://www.isewcute.etsy.com/


:o)

I can't stand geese...

...unless they're baby geese!

My kiddos had quite a thrill seeing baby geese for the first time! Geese are everywhere around here...they're agreassive, dirty, and don't seem to be afraid of humans...so I don't understand why they're on the 'protected wildlife' list....but they do have adorable babies!

We fed the adults some 'goldfish crackers'...and babygirl kept hollering, "here geese-birds, heeeeere! Got food to you!"

:o)

It is possible to embroider and eat ice cream at the same time!!!

I was having a dilemma...albeit a minor dilemma... while working on embroidering a tea towel for a craftster swap I'm involved in.

The urge hit me to indulge in some ice cream...& that is a hard urge to ignore when you like ice cream the way I love ice cream & I was in the zone getting my craft on.

When the work just flows & the excitement is there to see a project coming together...it's difficult to stop... even for ice cream!

So I got on twitter & tweeted about my little problem:

...and the response to it was huge... for me... I'm not talking Ashton Kutcher huge here...as I'm not that popular yet... LoL! ...but fellow craftster craftydame gave me the answer I was looking for!

Thank you craftydame!!!! It's the answer to a crafty ice cream lover's dream!!!

So head on over to Jesse Kate's blog to enter her giveaway for 'the best invention ever'... the drip stick!

Invented by a mom, it enables you to eat your icecream without the mess...no more sticky hands & you can set a cone or popsicle down to free your hands for embroidery ...or anything else you need free hands for!

Happy crafting/eating everyone!

:o)

Not Really a Waitress... such a gorgeous nail polish color...

on toes & fingernails...but not on white carpet or a 2 year old!

My DD wanted to paint her toenails herself...but ended up painting our bedroom carpet instead! I had a moment of panic when I saw her...thinking she had cut herself ...badly, as her right leg from the knee down was entirely blood red. I had a moment of relief realizing it was nail polish. Then finally I had a moment of panic when I realized...it's nailpolish!!!

She had gotten a bottle from the hall closet...which has a doorknob lock on it for toddlers...but the door must've not been closed for her to get into it. Now all the nail polish is on a high shelf...out of sight.

I grabbed her & tossed her pjs into the trash can...the fumes alone were terrible...and then went to work on her legs with baby wipes soaked with nail polish remover. After a very quick wipe down & into a bath...she was content to wash up. After the bath my husband & I went to work on the carpet.

Here's what we did: sprayed spots with a combination of goo gone & windex window cleaner & dabbed them with a rag. Once the thick spots were more like pink stains we worked them out by spraying windex & using the rag to scrub...as well as a scrub brush for the stubborn ones that had started to dry. THis left pale pink & blue (from the windex) on our carpet. I got out the oxi clean... heated 2 cups of water to near boiling & added 1/2 cup of the detergent & mixed well. Went back to the carpet & poured some onto all the remaining spots...& let it set for 5 minutes. Then I used my Hoover steam vac to suck everything out of the carpet & rinse.

You'd never know where the spot had been...unless I point it out! :o)

During this whole ordeal...it didn't occur to me to take photos...as you can probably imagine!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

This is one of those moments than make me feel like I'm totally not failing as a parent! My kids are really good together usually, but it's great to have an un-prompted moment like this when the little guy just takes his little sister under his wing!

:o)

We Have A Winner! Think Pink - Breast Cancer Pendant Giveaway!

UPDATE: April 1 2009
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!


Congratulations Jen

Baby Girl drew your name from over 20 participants through flickr, email, & my blog!


Thank you to everyone who participated, I really value your helpful feedback for improving my etsy & sharing your personal stories. Be sure to check back here for future giveaways! This was so fun!

Kind Regards,
June

(baby girl is wearing a hair bow clippie by supernerdstef on etsy & sweet dress is by wildolive kids on etsy...I made a mistake posting that it was the birdseed dress by PrettyMe on etsy...which we have & love...just wanted to give correct credit where credit is due)


This is my first time doing a giveaway on my blog! Yay!

The piece I'm giving away is my 'breast cancer hope' heart shaped resin pendant necklace!

I've known people who have had breast cancer & survived...as well as people who have suffered great loss due to breast cancer. This necklace was inspired by my own little scare a few weeks ago...which turned out alright...but the 'scare' of it is still with me. I think 'what if'...and look at my little ones & it shakes me to my core. I count myself lucky & feel blessed!

I made this pendant to work through some of my own feelings... may it be treasured & go to a good home!

The pendant is hand cast resin...with a pink ribbon symbol, various glitters, real cupcake sprinkles that look like the pink ribbon symbols, & more glitter. It hangs from a silver plated bail & an 18" metallic ball chain.

The value of this piece is $30.

To enter to win, all you have to do is visit my etsy shop & come back here to tell me three things in the comments below before March 31, 2009:

1. Your favorite item
2. Your least favorite item or what I should improve...I'm looking for constructive criticism here...to help my shop be the best it can be!
3. What item would you like me to make in the future.


Be sure to leave me your email address, as that’s what I’ll use to randomly choose a winner at the end & notify the winner.

I will do the drawing & announce the winner on April 1st... no fooling! :o)


Please feel free to share your own personal experiences with breast cancer & how it has affected you & your loved ones. The greatest thing I experienced with my scare was the reaching out by others...to tell me to be strong, hang in there, and to say they'd been through it & were just wishing me the best & thinking of me.

Sometimes the worst things in life bring out the best in people.

:o)

MissPrettyPretty has Proven a Child's Imagination is Bigger Than a Card Table!

Kids have big imaginations!

In fact their imaginations are larger than a card table!

This may look like a card table with a sheet thrown over it ... but to my kids, this is a castle...clubhouse...pirate ship...haunted house...& train station!

I remember playing in closets, under the bed, & 'under the table' as a child... it was a magical world of my own...which I shared (sometimes reluctantly) with my brother.

There is a fabulous shop on etsy called missprettypretty ...who's owner has a great imagination & has made card table play houses beautiful & oh so fun for children!

Her award winning 'little red card table playhouse' is perfect for boys or girls! You can read allbout it in Etsy's Storque article on eco friendly kids toys: http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-eco-toys-for-tots-naturally-3642/

The 'fire station' promises fun for any little guy! Attention to details such as the cat in the tree & the flag are so wonderful!

I love the 'cupcakery' play house...with over 40+ interactive removable pieces to play with! It's like a felt play board and sweet secret hideaway all in one! Sure to keep kids busy & happy!

Her 'fairy cottage' comes with it's own fabulous interactive elements such as puppets, a mailbox with letters, and apples to pick!


Customization of missprettypretty's products is available...just send her a convo (message) through etsy & see what wonderful & unique creations she could make for your little ones!



:o)

Diary of a Crafty Chica: Nana-style Earring Bracelet

Diary of a Crafty Chica: Nana-style Earring Bracelet

Years ago I inherited so much of my great aunt's fabulous costume jewelry! The only problem is I can't wear many of the pieces due to lost stones or broken jewelry findings such as clasps & earring backings. With this great idea I saw over on Crafty Chica's blog...the possibilities for revamping Aunt Do's jewelry into something not only sentimental ...but useful once again... are endless!

Thank you Kathy Cano-Murillo!

:o)

Fascinating Fascinator/Hair Clippie for Tots with Fine Hair...as Well as for Mommies who Like to Feel Pretty!

Baby hair is so fine & sometimes uncontrollable...so it's fabulous when I come across something that really holds & makes my little girl feel all dolled up!




This sweet 'must have' accessory is handmade in Madrid by the talented Lilzahira on Etsy!

Not only is it a hair clippie, but it can also be a brooch! I borrow it sometimes...until DD makes me give it up!


Here are some other items that caught my eye:

Another color combination for the clippie/brooch called 'moss' ... it looks so dressy in grown up's hair too don't you think?


Stunning pink & black beaded choker... isn't it scrumptious?
My favorite color!
:o)


I also love some of Lilzahira's more 'gothic' looking beadwork like this red & black beaded cross.
She has many styles & colors available...so if this makes you hungry for more, you're going to have to check out her shop for yourself!


If you haven't considered shopping for handmade items internationally...why not give it a try? You could be missing out on something wonderful!

I highly recommend Lilzahira because of her quality & attention to detail in her work...as well as beautifully packaging her items for shipment. She is very convo-friendly...a total joy to do business with & her English is fabulous! I had no idea that English was a second language for her! She also speaks French & Spanish! ...so communication was great!

She puts a lot of love into what she does...so why not check out her shop for yourself?
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6259330


:o)

Decorating a Child's World Beautiful...

I love my kids' rooms...it's just so relaxing and wonderful in their own magical spaces.
Even when they are a mess, which is all the time, I love just sitting in there while they play & looking at the things we've hung on their walls.

I've introduced my kids to all kinds of visual stimulation for as long as I've had kids! Babygirl saw her first real Warhol piece at the Dayton Art Institute's Marilyn exhibit before her second birthday...because mommy wanted to go & had no babysitter. I think she really enjoyed herself too!

We've decorated the walls of their rooms with a variety of things...taking into consideration what suits the kid's personalities.

Here are a few items in my daughter's room:

:
...a photo of my fairy baby... taken by mommy...and now her favorite activity is playing dress up!


...a couple of favorite newborn sized outfits ...reminds me of how tiny she used to be...


...a painting of a fairy castle...done by a personal friend...whose talent & creativity cannot be captured in words. If the house caught fire... this is one of the things I'd want to grab on the way out... it is stunning in person...she must've painted a million little colorful dots with a 1 or 2 bristle brush...


...one of mommy's drawings of a little girl... because she saw it in my craft room & liked it...we moved it into her room...not that she's spoiled just a little! LOL!


In my boy's room we started out decorating with a little retro/vintage flair...


I picked these up at a flea market in Chicago...they're just pages from an old 'Dick & Jane' book that have been mounted & framed...


...these are vintage die cut nursery wall art ...that used to hang in my husband's nursery...as well as his father's... I love them to pieces!


...this is a cross stitch panel done by the kids' loving aunt... she's wicked talented with a needle!


...and this piece is a photo that my son & I purchased together from an etsy shop called WideEyedPhotos... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15773673
...we were searching for trains...and came up with this sweet little Jack Russell Terrier standing on some tracks. He loves it... and so do I!

I hope you liked looking & if you have kids...or are going to have kids...hope you enjoy their rooms as much as I enjoy mine!


:o)