It's baby season, everywhere I go I see pregnant women with their belly hanging out there ready to deliver. As it is I currently have two brand new nephews, a cousin due in less than six weeks and a best friend due in August!

With that in mind I am on the look out for "hip" things to do for the baby shower I will be hosting.  That search brought me to Mylittleangelco which makes baby shower items.  I am not hosting a co-ed baby shower but when I saw this "Daddy's tool belt" I had to blog about it. This is just a perfect item to help make Dad feel a part of the festivities... create a game of all the items that Dad would need to changing those dirty diapers! I love the goggles for those unexpected squirts from little boys, or the clothes pin for that stinky smell!!

IntricateCreations creates beautiful accessories for a baby's head to the amazing bouquet of crystals, shown to the right, that will shimmer into any wedding.  Flowers are gorgeous but they will wilt away in no time, and don't sparkle as the lights from your wedding hit each bead....

"You only have one day to be your best. Add this bouquet and make it extra special."

Shawna, creator of IntricateCreations, finds her inspiration everywhere and is always up for a challenge to create something you might have in mind.  You will be pleasantly surprised....

"I am a creative whirlpool. I may look at something and turn it into something completely different."

The "Give a Hoot" line

So here I am enjoying my own personal office space with my cup of warm peppermint hot chocolate skimming the latest Etsy shops and what do I come across? This wonderful "Whom?" hat knitted by Alice at Throughthelooking.  I started reading the description and immediately new this was perfect for my spouse who always corrects my grammar!!

"Meet the newest member of the Give A Hoot family, WHOM! He's curious, inquisitive, and likes to correct the other woodland creatures' grammar."

After enjoying my laugh, I scrolled through more of the "give a hoot" line and found these darling wool fingerless mittens with gorgeous owls on them! Owls are so popular today and great to wear.  They're wise and adorable, you can't go wrong! What a great combination for those cold days... not that sunny southern California gets that cold but hey they're still a great pair!

Feeling refreshed...

Spring cleaning brings just being clean.  Brittany at Mountain Creek Gift creates invigorating products with all natural ingredients for that truly refreshed feeling. I love this quote from her; it's so honest...

"You never have to worry when using my products, because I will never use anything that is not completely natural...We can never duplicate these perfect ingredients in a lab, and we shouldn't change them in any way with chemicals." 

 The organic lavender citrus cream pictured above is wonderful for dry chapped skin.  A little bit of this at night and you'll be smooth in the morning!  Or get this wonderful soap set that comes with a vintage tin. I think I might this snatch this one up myself to go with my newly remodeled bath room. :)

Oh what a little IKEA can do...

With remodeling comes spring cleaning!! I am so happy that we are remodeling our living space. It feels so wonderful to clear out items that have just accumulated over time. We have filled up two dumpster worth of carpeting, knick knacks, old papers, cardboard boxes... the list goes on and on. Who doesn't love spring cleaning??? I never really understood the "spring" part of the term since I usually do a small cleaning three of four times a year but to get into every little thing I have in this place and decide if it's worth keeping... wow.

With that in mind, there is a sale going on over at my Etsy store 40% off select items. There are great items just moving on to other things. Thanks!

Do you have any fabulous ideas for organization and cleaning? If so, please share! I am so interested in all the ways I can better this space, especially my office area.

(The photos are a before and after ... so far ... still need better organization)

New item listed....

Even though I am in the middle of remodeling and my house is a complete mess, I still managed to get my latest pregnancy album photographed and up on Etsy for sale! I am so proud of this album. It is different from my original pregnancy albums in the sense that I have put a different flare to it. I combined a basic album with questions and answers with the opportunity of adding those ultrasound photos and belly shots with journaling.  Plus having my newly purchased Cricut at my side to ease through the embellishments make it so much easier!! Thank you to my spouse for saying okay to that purchase.

Remodeling!!

Hi all,
I am taking a short break from blogging about Etsy shops while I complete a small remodel on my physical place.  We are painting the walls, ripping up the carpet and putting down wood flooring, getting rid of some things, adding others.... it goes on. My spouse is very ambitious and seems to think we will be finished quite quickly but we will have to see how it goes.  Currently, the walls in the living room and bedroom are painted. It's a start.  Friday is the removal of carpet and wood replacement. That will be nice so that our dogs, Ollie and Hazel, aren't able to rip it up and cleaning up the hair will be much easier.
I will update as things go... have a wonderful week!!

ChelseaRainbow from New York City creates jewelry that is great to enhance any wardrobe.  As she states in her profile on Etsy, every item is individual works of art...


"I treat each item I make as an individual work of art, I create and sell timeless jewelry meant for day into evening wear."
  


Besides her jewelry she also creates items for entertainment, wine stoppers and wine glass charms that are just darling.  With each charm being unique it allows you to be able to separate your guests glass from your own .  Well that is if you are able to remember what your charm looked like of course!!

Beads are so much fun to play with; The sound they make when you drop one into a pile of them, the variety of colors. There are so many things that you can do with beads and Ideology proves that with her wonderful shop.

"I have enjoyed artistic self-expression ever since I can remember, and I am a creator of many forms: drawing, painting, jewelry making, and so forth. In my shop you will find items handmade with passion and joy."

These dangling blue, gray and black earrings are perfect to compliment a simple outfit or as a night on the town accessory. I love the different shapes and shades , they just sparkle! And the price you just can't find, even with shipping included you are making out with an amazing deal!!

Lori with Chickabeestudio makes darling items for children.

"I'm a self confessed craftaholic! I live in beautiful Northern California with my husband and two kids and our crazy black lab.  I love to keep my hands busy with anything creative and crafty."

Whether it's an organic ones for the infant to sport a "Night Owl" look ...

Or this Mock Sock Monkey that is all dressed up for Easter with his bunny hat and Easter egg.  Even better, the hat is removable! The Sock Monkey goes with the season and gets to be normal banana loving monkey the rest of the time!!

Each time I do a little more searching on Etsy, I am amazed to see so many different crafts that are being made.

The designs are all so unique and unexpected like from FabricGreetings which makes fabric postcards. These postcards are so detailed I have a hard time believing that they are really made out of fabric!

"I truly believe that each and every person deserves to get a card that is perfect for them. So I try very hard to make these cards unique and original. All cards meet the USPS requirements and can be sent through the mail for the cost of a first class stamp. So not only will your recipient enjoy getting a unique card, the postman also can enjoy what he is delivering."

Receiving something like these in the mail would really be a special treat.  Who doesn't love to check the mail but to only find those nasty bills? Who wouldn't love to find something as fabulous as a quilted postcard instead?? This would definitely bring a smile to anyone's face! And there are just so many reasons for sending a little note to a friend.  Please stop in at FabricGreetings to check out all of her amazing fabric postcards!

From AnnaSkates love for scrapbooking comes this wonderful opportunity for her to share what she enjoys with the rest of us, creating wonderful stationery pieces such as this wedding invitation...

"I love being able to provide friends and family...and friends of family...and friends of friends with custom and handmade designs through cards, journals and photo albums that capture the very spirit of the person for whom they are made."

As one customer states it best...

"To anyone who is thinking about going to a high end invitations boutique in their area....DON'T!"

From simple to glamour ...

Priya123 makes such realist flowers for your hair!  Thank you to your mother for teaching you the beauty of these and for you in making such wonderful accessories to make an outfit sparkle.

"Making flowers is my hobby:). This shop is just the presentation of my flowers. I have inherited the art of sewing & designing from my mother who used to stich beautiful frocks, all my creations are dedicated to my mom. "

These purple satin flowers are perfect for a finishing touch on a wedding hair style, a few curls and these... gorgeous!




Oh wow, and these flower clips on for a woman's shoes! It makes a simple pair of shoes be so much more than just shoes, Cinderella anyone?

Joyoustreasures

Johanna of Joyoustreasures makes darling crocheted bookmarks of various types of flowers.  Each one has such vibrant colors that they seem to be more real like than the real thing!

"My grandmother left me many things when she passed away. I am always working on new projects created with her supplies to keep and remember her by. I love it! I wear her beads all the time!"

With the new popularity of e-readers, it's nice to see an artist sticking to the roots of simplicity with a memento such as a bookmark to hold your place in that great adventure or novel you are reading.  The feeling of the pages and the ability to get lost in story... oh how wonderful!

Resonates

Wow what a find! I love when you come across an item that is just so simple but speaks volumes. The Etsy shop  Resonates does this. They have taken such simple items as the everyday nickel or dime and turned it into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Here's a little bit of their reasoning behind their shop...

"My husband and I used to call our son Mr. Money Bags for finding loose change wherever we went. Then one day he passed a shiny nickel on the beaten black top without bothering to pick it up. His indifference made me sadly realize how nickels were no longer worthy to even the preschool pocket anymore."

This is a one of a kind concept from what I can tell and creates wonderful pieces to wear around your neck with the knowledge that you are up-cycling a simple nickel.  They can be customized for even more individuality as well like the karate girl necklace shown to the left. Or as I have seen from their feedback, wear a "RUN" necklace only on days that you run to feel that sense of accomplishment. Brilliant idea!

RoseGlen in style

Today Rose Glen is bringing us style...

"I have always enjoyed creating and making my own clothes. In the past I made clothes for a local shop selling to plus size women which sadly has closed, so I understand the frustration in obtaining clothing that is fashionably and stylish, for those of us that do not fit the cat walk shape."

 With her fabulous color choices and wonderful design she is going places.  Check out this Retro Black & White Skirt, I love how it flows and can see it being so versatile!

Eco Friendly owls

Maria from the Mariapalito on Etsy has the cutest felt owls which are great for party favors or toys.

"...All my toys are made by hand using only Eco-friendly felt from recycled post-costumer plastic bottles. I design all my toys from scratch, I made the sketch, then I draw the shape pattern, I select the textures, cut the pattern and then I sew it! All my toys are non-toxic, non-allergic..."

It's wonderful that not only are these adorable they are great for our environment as well!

Aqua Mini Owls

EZCareKnits

Whether you love to knit or just love the finished project of knitting EZCareKnits has something to offer you!

They have patterns in PDF format, made by them, that you can use immediately to get started on that wonderful project or completed projects like the one below.  Wouldn't a newborn look fabulous in this cozy cocoon?!

Cocoon with Beanie...

Tweeting Antique Basket Lady

Love this Tote/Diaper Bag from Antique Basket Lady on Etsy!

"The back of the bag has been quilted in a diamond patten and features one of my favorite fabrics from the 'Pretty Bird' collection by Pillow & Maxfield for Michael Miller Fabrics. Pretty colors such as Apricot, Tangerine, Raspberry Red, Scarlet, Shamrock, Espresso make this bag an asset to any wardrobe."

The quality of work that Sue at Antiquebasketlady is amazing!  And each design is so cute!

Dragonfly Artwork

Valentina of Vaniasartshop says...

"I am an artist, first and foremost, but have put away my paint brushes for the time being as I am taking a break from art - in the meantime, I am loving my newest hobby of making clay pendants, earrings, bracelets in various designs that closely resemble my painted artwork."

I have to disagree with the statement that she has taken a break from art as this Dragonfly pendant is a work of art! Please take a peek at all of these wonderful pieces...