My Stuff's in a STORE!!

I was recently contacted by a super sweet woman named Carol. She was opening a gift shop in a suburb of Charleston and after peeking around on Etsy had stumbled on my shop. She called me up and asked to carry some of my items in store. IN. HER. STORE! I was so excited. I have a couple other people carrying my items but none of them are local. This one I could actually walk into and see my stuff there on the shelf. I was so pumped!
Last week I met her daughter and sold some of my items to them for their grand opening on Saturday.
Then today, we were in Mt. Pleasant for Jonah's doc visit-he's cast free (for now anyway)-and the hubby said that since we were over on this end of town we should stop by Pure Gifts and see my stuff live & in person.
We walked in and Jonah was the first one to spot something of mine...painted ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree. I think he was just as excited as I was!

Here's me in front of my bowholders on the wall, cheesing it up with my burpie sets!

And after talking to Ms. Carol today after my visit to the shop, I am going back on Saturday with more goodies for her to carry.

If only we didn't have to move to Oklahoma in a couple weeks...

I got featured!

A very lovely lady over at Love of the Sea requested 3 of my Starfish Santa ornaments recently. I have her order all packaged up and ready to mail today, but she's so excited that she wrote on her blog about them before she even recieved them! How's that for a compliment? I love it!



She also has her own ocean-inspired Etsy shop, so make sure you check her out too!

Friday Finds on Etsy: Let's Talk Turkey...and a giveaway!

I really have been trying to get giveaways going lately and I just have had ZERO luck. So I decided that I will do a giveaway from my own Etsy shop.

It's November y'all! Can you believe it? I can't! This year has gone by so fast...and the last couple of months have literally flown. I am both looking forward to and dreading Thanksgiving this year...I love it because it's time for family and friends to gather and have great food, but I'm dreading it because it will be our last holiday here in my beloved South Carolina. But that is another post entirely...one that I don't have the stomach to right just yet because the mere thought brings me to tears.

Anyway, Thanksgiving tends to get lost in the hubbub of getting ready for Christmas (I myself am guilty of already playing Christmas music in the house & the car!), and I just wanted to spotlight it to make sure it gets its due.

My favorite Thanksgiving items from my shop are these:I found that adorable turkey fabric and bought it that minute...I love the chubby turkeys and it just makes me smile!Sophia wore the Turkey bow last year to our friends house for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit!

Okay...now for the giveaway. One lucky reader will recieve this super cute turkey clippie! Just go to my shop and nose around, then come back here and leave me a comment with your favorite item from Jen's Craft Corner. A winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, 9 November. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Friday Finds on Etsy: Halloween Part 2- Pumpkins

We all know that I love Halloween. The decorating, the costumes, the CANDY! And when I decorate I love to use pumpkins. They're so bright and cheery....I can't help but smile when I see them. I'm a grinnin' fool when we drive past a pumpkin patch.

Here's some of my favorites from Etsy this week:

First up are these ADORABLE bows from Madi & Bill. Now, normally I make all of Miss Sophia's bows, but I have not yet mastered this style, and oh! how I love them! And with the monogrammed pumpkin center?! Forget it!! I'm taken!

Next up is this super cute customized trick or treat bag from First Crush Designs. It's another must-have! I love all things personalized and I could envision all three of my boogers carrying these adorable bags to gather goodies- even my 9 yr old BOY.
Lastly is from my shop, Jen's Craft Corner. I so wish I would've started making these bloomers when Miss Thing was still in diapers. She would've have at least one pair for every holiday. Seriously. But since she's three now, I think the hubby would frown on her walking around in these. But wouldn't they be so adorable on a little munchkin for their first Halloween?? So there you have it. Three of my favorite pumpkin items from Etsy. Go on over and check out for yourself...there's so much greatness there!

Friday Finds on Etsy: Halloween Pt 1- Candy Corn!

"Ooohh! Candy Corn! I hate performing on an empty stomach!"

- Heimlich, from "A Bugs Life"

Next to those super delicious candy pumpkins I buy every year, candy corn is my favorite Halloween treat. I could eat those things ALL. DAY. LONG.

Serious. I have a big bowl of them on my kitchen table and I grab a handful when I pass by. If you're a dentist reading this blog, I can imagine you shuddering where you sit. Sorry.

Anywho...like I do every week, I nosed around on Etsy and found some of the cutest candy corn items I could. There were so many I wanted to include, but then I'd be sitting my tush in this chair for too long. And since there are already too few hours in my day, I had to whittle it down to three.

Sorry to toot my own horn again, but I love Halloween so much and have alot of cute items up in my shop for this time of year, so I just had to showcase another one. I sorry. (Okay, not really. It's a shameless plug.) But you have to admit...this is a super cute headband, is it not?!Next up are these a-freakin'-dorable flip flops from Miss Priss Bowtique. These are made for toddlers but oh good heavens I want a pair for myself! I would totally sport these babies while taking the kids trick-or-treating!Last up are these great earrings from Miss Megan's. I don't have pierced ears, but I could definitely see my mom or sister wearing these. They're a great way to accessorize for Halloween but still be sophisticated!

So now go check all those shops out and make a purchase (or two or ten) and help support crafters!

Check back next week for another Halloween edition...this time featuring creepy crawly spiders!

Friday Finds on Etsy: Happy Fall, y'all!

Hooray for fall! Yesterday was the official first day of fall, and while I was waiting in the pick up line for Jonah afterschool, two brown leaves fell off the tree above me and landed on my windshield. I am hoping that it's a sign that cooler weather is on its way!

So in honor of autumn (one of my FAVORITE times of the year!), here are some beautiful finds from Etsy.

First is this stunning cluster flower pin from Gogal Made . Oh how I want this brooch! There are lots of other beautiful accessories in this shop too...I could spend ALOT of money there.Next is this great scarf. Festive but oh so chic. Caustic Threads has so many great scarves and shirts. But I think that this fall themed one is definitely my favorite. Last up is this headband from my own Etsy shop. I have to plug myself once and awhile, right? Anywho..this baby has been in quite a few Etsy treasuries lately, and I'm pretty proud of that. It means someone likes me!

Go check out the great stores featured today, and again, let me know if you have a shop or know someone who would be willing to offer up a product for review or giveaway.

Friday Finds on Etsy: Pretty as a Peacock

Yes, I realize it's once again Saturday. My Fridays have been so busy lately that I just can't always find the time to sit down and blog. I sorry.

Anyway, I am loving all of the peacock feather I'm seeing everywhere now. The colors are so beautiful and vibrant. So once again I perused Etsy to see what unique peacock items I could find, and here they are.

This first one is a great wreath from Knock Knocking. I just LOVE the different hues. They make me happy. Next up is this fun pendant from Analiese Designs. I have a handful of her items and everytime I wear one I get compliments from everyone. She's a great assest to Etsy! And lastly is this stunning infant headband from Lilly Bella Bows. This is another shop that I frequent and her quality of items is just perfect. KC is truly a sweetheart! This headband would be so amazing on any little princess...especialy for a wedding or special occasion.

Sorry that there's no giveaways lined up. Again, if anyone owns an Etsy shop or knows someone who does and may be interested in letting me do a review/giveaway of their items, please contact me and let me know!

Wanna win something?

One of my dear, dear friends is hosting a giveaway on her blog.

And it just so happens to feature little 'ol me and my little 'ol Etsy shop. So hop on over to The Thinking Blonde and check it out. Then submit a comment to be entered into the drawing!

Here's a hint: it's not for anything baby related, so all of you with no children/older kids have NO EXCUSE not to enter!

Jen's Craft Corner Giveaway!

This is another plug for my shop, but it involves promoting another momma's blog too. Kami from The Mommy Diaries has expressed interest in my wipes cases and wanted to review one. So I sent one of the cutest ones I have up to her and she told the world how she felt about it. She's also hosting a giveaway- the lucky winner gets their choice of wipes case from my Etsy shop!

Do you want a chance to win? If so, just go here and follow the instructions she's posted and you'll be set!

Parenting.com Article!

Some of you faithful followers know that I have a little Etsy shop where I sell my creations for baby. Well, today I recieved an email from someone on the Etsy Marketing team informing me that they had selected a onesie from my shop to be part of Parenting.com's "31 Baby Gifts for $20 and Under" article on their website! The "My Name Is" onesie is #2 on their list!

Go check it out here and then spread the word!!

Lowcountry Artsit Market

I have been given a great opportunity to promote my Etsy shop with an Etsy-inspired craft show here in Charleston! I was contacted by the owner of the Music Farm a few weeks ago about getting a booth in a new show she was putting on. Of course I jumped at the chance!

So if you live around Charleston or know anyone who does, come check it out...I'll be there with a booth full of goodies!

My house was taken over by ladybugs!

Sort of a Friday Finds on Etsy...Sophia's birthday party treat bags.

Sophia's party is tomorrow. I've been busting my tail getting things ready around here. We're doing a ladybug theme, and I decided that I would make all of the goody bag treats, because I couldn't find anything toddler-aged in the stores that I liked. It was alot of work, but I had fun!

I got plain red paper bags from Walmart for 25 cents a peice. Then I punched 1" holes in black construction paper and glued them on.

I made some fun bottlecap necklaces for each little girly. I got the images from Magnolia Graphics on Etsy.

I made ladybug clippies for everyone too. I just cut some more black construction paper into rectangles, clipped on the ladybug, and then added the wonderful stickers from Sticker Doodles (again, an Etsy find).

I made some fun wands with 25 cent wooden cutouts from the craft store, dowels that I painted black, and some ribbon cut into even lengths.

Finally, I made some marshmallow pops. Now, I had some issues with these. I got the idea from this post by Grace Violet. Now, I either just had a HORRIBLE day yesterday or she has some magic white chocolate, because I couldn't get mine to cooperate. I melted it and it was all nice and creamy, but when I went to add the food coloring, it got all chalky and I couldn't dip the marshmallow into it. I tried to warm it over on the stove on low, but that just made the marshmallow melt when I dipped it in. So I gave up and bought some white whipped frosting, added food coloring to that, and dipped it that way. It doesn't harden like it should, but it'll have to do. It's not like a bunch of 2 year olds are gonna know the difference anyway. (They didn't come out red like I wanted, but more of a dark pink. Just ask hubby...I was frusterated.) Anyway, here's my finished product:

Eggs

One of my favorite parts of Easter is decorating eggs. It's so much fun and the whole family (hubby included) gets involved. I love to watch the creativity flow from my kids fingers, and their personalities definitely shine through in their color choices. This year we bought a fun Easter egg tye-dye kit, and I have to say that these are some of our best eggs ever!

Frugal How-To: Autograph Books

We went to Disney over the weekend and part of the Disney experience is meeting the characters and getting their autographs. You can buy all sorts of autograph books inside the park for about $15 a pop, but when you multiply that by three kids, it gets pricey. So, to save some money (which of course we later spent on a bunch of other souveniers for the monkeys), I decided to make them for the kids and add a little personal touch to them.

I used these chipboard books from YMBD and let the boys each pick out some Mickey Mouse stickers to decorate the covers with. I bought some coordinating scrapbook paper and stickers and decopaged everything to the front. I cut printer paper into pieces the size of the covers and punched holes in them, then used the rings to hold it all together. I added some ribbon cuts from my craft stash and tied them to the rings to finish it off. All in all, it cost me about $20 start to finish (including buying pens for each of them) for all three books. And the best part is that the kids loved them!

Noah is really into the Pirates of the Carribean and these stickers were perfect for him! Yes, I know, the play on words is a bit cheesy, but that's what happens when you've got Dutch dry humor running through your veins. And hey- my 7 year old loved it!

Jonah thought these stickers of Goofy & Mickey were really cool!

Sophia LOVES Minnie Mouse and I thought that fun red rhinestones and black & white dots was just right!

The Great Hairbow Scandal of 2009

As some of you know, I make hairbows for my little monkey, and also sell them in my Etsy shop. On top of that, I make a bunch of sets that I send down to my mom & sisters in Florida, who in turn take them into the daycare center where they work, and sell them for me. When I was talking to my mom and one of my sisters on the phone this morning, they informed me of an instance recently that involved a set of white hairbows. It was just too good not to share.

A few weeks ago the center had picture day, and lots of little girls showed up to school wearing my various clips and bows. My mom had forgotten to bring the bag of unsold hair accessories home with her the night before, but didn't think anything of it. When my mom and sister got to work that morning, three of the other employees came up to them and said "so-and-so (who just so happens to be yet another employee) took one of the white bows and put it in her daughter's hair for the pictures. She doesn't plan on paying for them because she thinks that $7 for a set of bows is ridiculous. So she told her daughter that she was going to borrow it for her picture and then she was going to put it back and act like nothing happened." Mom and sister were not happy.

Mom acts like nothing's happend, but my sis, on the other hand, was livid. She walks into the classroom she teaches and lo and behold there's the little girl wearing the bow. Sis walks up to her, gently takes the bow out of the girl's hair (BEFORE the pictures even happened, haha!) and replaces it back onto the card with its mate. Then Sis proceeds to walk into the said employee's classroom, places the card with the bows down on the table, says "You owe me $7" and walks out.

So scandalous!!

* Said employee did pay up, and even apologized, but not before getting a big lecture on ethics from my sis.*

Five Years

My little man is 5 today. Last night as we were watching the Super Bowl, I kept thinking that five years ago I was doing the exact same thing (only a heck of alot later at night, because we were stationed in England then) only having contractions off and on during the game.

We had Jonah's party on Saturday at the bowling alley. He had a blast!

And I have to toot my own horn here, but I made Jo's cake and am so proud of how it turned out, that I just had to show it off!

Happy Dance!

I believe in miracles! Praise the Lord! You sexy thing (sexy thing yeah)! :)

Forgive my silly song, but I'm a little elated. I just recieved word that there's been a "stay of execution" enacted on the CPSIA laws. I can continue to sell my children's items! I will still have to be in compliance (which I already am) I just don't have to fork out the ridiculous amounts of money to prove it!!

Hallelujah!

Get it while you can!

Unless things miraculously change before February 10th (and yes, I do believe in miracles and am praying with all my might about this), I will no longer be able to sell my childrens items anymore. The new CPSIA law goes into effect that day. While it's a great law in theory, it is absolutely going to be the death of craft shows and homemade items for children. Even though I use materials that have lead-testing certificates from the manufacturers, I would still have to send the finished item for testing. I would have to test each component of the item, and around $100 per component. So for one of my onesies, I'd have to test the onesie itself (running total: $100, the snaps that close the onesie at the bottom (running total: $200), the fabric that I use for the applique (EACH fabric that is used has to be tested...so if a onesie has 4 different fabrics, that's another $400. Running total: $600), each color thread used (4 threads to match the 4 fabrics- running total $1000) and the iron-on I use to secure the applique while I sew it down ($1100). So a onesie that normally runs me about $8 to make would now cost me over $1000. And the kicker of it all is that the tests for lead DESTROY the items that it is testing. Since the vast majority of my items are OOAK (one of a kind) or custom order, I cannot comply.

So what does all of that mean for you? It means that you won't be able to find cute, personalized, unique clothes & toys for your babies. For me it means that I won't be able to do what I love while staying at home with my precious children. No, it's not a steady income, but it's some pocket money and I enjoy it. Every purchase that someone makes from me is a huge compliment.

So go to my Etsy shop and stock up before it's too late!

So Exciting!

Ok so I have decided to head in a new direction with my Etsy shop. I'm still doing baby stuff as long as long as I can, but I wanted to branch out a bit too. Get ready for items for the Hip Momma!!

I have lots more key fobs in the works, and will be debuting the Koffee Kozy very soon! :)