Autumn2May's Crafts and Hobbies Blog

Old King Cole

2011-10-02T13:59:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I had this post ready last Monday, and I forgot to post it! XD Well here it is a week late. :)

Next on our nursery rhyme tour is another old favorite of mine: Old King Cole. And while most cartoons of my youth showed the King smoking a pipe, most likely the pipe in question was actually a musical instrument. Enjoy!

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.

Royal Crown Cookies in Blue and Silver by SweetAmbs	Flute 5x7 Photography Print by Knight27
2" Tea Ball with Crown Charm by OwensAcres	Beautiful Salad or Soup Bowl by wildcardpottery
Cotton Napkins - Royal Crown by badbatdesigns	8x10 Violin Matte Print by creationsbyhli

And if you enjoyed the small treasury, then take a look at the big one!

Have a great day! :)

Arrr Matie!

2011-09-19T14:28:00.001-04:00

Today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day! So, in honor of this occasion me blog will be taking a short break from nursery rhymes so I can bring this fine steampunk pirate treasury! There she blows!

Victorian Kraken Octopus Plate by AustinModern	Anchor Necklace with Vintage Pearl by ReneeLoughlin
Sterling Silver Octopus Ring with Opal Eyes by billyblue22	10 Skull Pirate Soaps by pepperapothecary
Steampunk Victorian Pirate Goggles by oldjunkyardboutique	Pirate Ship at Sea Oil Painting by whataboutthat

And if ye enjoyed that make sure you get a good look at the larger treasury here!

Happy pillaging mates! :)

Hey Diddle, Diddle

2011-09-12T16:15:00.002-04:00

It's a full harvest moon tonight so I thought today's nursery rhyme should be Hey Diddle, Diddle. I always liked this rhyme, because it's just plain nonsense. And a kid, nonsense was the best kind of sense. Grown-ups had boring logic and us kids, we had nonsense. Of course cows could jump over the moon. Just like little girls could climb into mirror worlds and stuffed animals could talk. It was a given that fantasy could be true even if it was only in our imaginations. I think adults would be better off if they played pretend on occasion. When you can imagine that fantasy is a possible, a whole new realm of real-life possibilities opens to you. Enjoy the treasury! :)

Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

8x11 Cat and the Fiddle Illustration by ChasingtheCrayon	Airborne Beagle 8x8 Fine Art Photograph by fatoldsunshine
Cow Jumped Over The Moon Illustration by BrickHouseStudio	Country Blue Mini Serving Oval Tray by catspawpottery
Little Dog Sitting on Comfy Chair Sculpture by dreamingdogs	Cat and the Fiddle Silver Plated Charm by treasuredcharms

Also make sure you check out the big treasury that matches this one!

Have a great day! :)

Nursery Rhymes

2011-09-05T23:03:00.002-04:00

Lately I've been singing nursery rhymes to my kids at bedtime. It occurred to me that nursery rhymes would make a good series of treasuries. So, that's what I'm going to do. For the next few weeks I'm going to feature a different nursery rhyme each week. This week is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.

Horse Photography Print by NatureMandalas	Cross 11" x 14" Digital Photo Print by taradesign
Ride a Clock Horse to Banbury Cross Brooch by tinyminds	Beaded Bell Silver Anklet by XtraVirgin
White Topaz Sterling Silver Ring by bewittched	White Horse Mixed Media Painting by elisavetasivas

If you liked the mini treasury you can see the whole thing here.

Have a great day! :)

I'm back!

2011-08-16T12:24:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! I've returned for the holidays. I haven't quite finished my book yet, but it's coming along nicely. I'll try to post here once a week, but it might end up being more like once every two weeks. To start us off, I'd like to tell you what I did last Saturday.

It started two weeks ago when my friend Vinny was raiding my cabinets for food and came across a large container of food coloring that I keep around for coloring frosting and candies. He decided he wanted to me to make a red velvet cake. The problem was we are almost out of red and it takes almost a full bottle of food coloring to make red velvet cake. We did however have a lot of blue. And that is how the idea of a blue suede cake was born.

It was decided that in two weeks we would make a blue suede cake in remembrance of Elvis's death. Why? I think it was an excuse to make the craziest cake he could think of. This was the result.

What you are looking at is a blue suede (instead of red velvet) cake with a mixture of banana pudding and chopped banana in the middle. It's frosted with peanut butter icing, covered in crispy bacon, then topped with fried banana.

Yes my friend Vinny designed a cake based on Elvis's favorite sandwich, which my husband cooked and we all ate. It was surprisingly good. The bacon and the peanut butter icing was the best part, which is really odd to think about. The weakest part of the cake was the cake itself. I think next time we need to use a less rich cake as all the toppings and fillings were pretty rich in and of themselves.

This brings me to today's mini treasury which is a mash-up of the Elvis cake ingredients. Enjoy! :)

P.B. and Duck Pond - 8x10 Metallic Print by kristimcmurry	Blue Suede Boots for Lati Doll by dollb
Banana Food for 18" American Girl Dolls by pippaloo	Bacon - Original 5x7 Painting by heatherfuture
Baby Blue Suede Petals Necklace by HaKNiK	Peanut Butter Fudge - Half Pound by Atomicfudge

If you'd like to see more Elvis inspired goodness, check out the big treasury here.

Have a great day! :)

Taking a Break

2011-06-12T14:42:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a little break from crafting, while I work on finishing the book I'm writing. This means I'm also going to be taking a break from this blog for a bit as well. I will most likely be back again this holiday season with more crafts and more treasuries. :) Until then you can follow me on my writing blog The Write Way To Type.

8x12 Fine Art Print by sixhours
See you in the future! :)

Snacky

2011-04-05T09:31:00.001-04:00

I went to the grocery store, while hungry, over the weekend. There should be a law against doing that. I must have bought every other piece of junk food in the entire store! The husband was not pleased. :) It got me thinking about kid's snacks, since that's one of the things I was supposed to be buying. It's weird because I have lots of snacks for my kids in the house, but I rarely eat them. I like saving my calories for my own special grown-up snacks, like triple fudge ice cream. :D But I thought it would be fun to look up some kiddy snacks on Etsy and see what came up. I discovered a treasure trove of yummy lovelies, most of which are completely calorie free! Hungry? Enjoy this delicious group of childhood favorites! :)

2 Juice Glasses Your Choice of Designs by BreadandBadger	Banana Salt and Pepper Shakers by MichikoShimada
Cookies 8 x 8 Fine Art Photograph by Jackierueda	Ants on a Log Felt Play Food by royalrugrats
Cinnamon & Honey Graham Crackers by SaltCityPatisserie	Goldfish Cracker Polymer Clay Necklace by BabyLovesPink

Still hungry? Check out the matching big treasury!

Have a great day! :)

Spring Is Here!

2011-03-31T15:16:00.003-04:00

When I started making this treasury it was 60 degrees out. Today, it's 30. Sigh. Well, regardless of the temperature outside it is in fact spring. The birds are returning, the flowers are coming up, and there are new buds on all the trees. :) It's pretty to look at, even if you still have to wear a winter jacket when you go outside. Are there signs of spring where you live? If not then check out this mini treasury to get your daily dose of a newly blossoming spring. :)

A Little Dream - Fine Art Photographic Print by ajawin	Porcelain Pendant with Impression of Branch by peifferStudios
Amethyst Purple Brass Bud Earrings by TheBrassHussy	Sugar Plum Coral Bells 8x10 Print by heatherkingdesigns
Green Buds Photographic Print 8x10 by eireanneilis	Sweet Spring Herbal Tea by twigandleafbotanical

For even more budding spring items, check out the big treasury as well! :)

Have a great day! :)

* Edit *
I had to change this around a bit because some of the pieces I picked expired by the time I went to post the big treasury. When I went to add some new items I accidentally deleted my mini treasury and had to start from scratch. If I said your piece was featured and you don't see it here, that is why. Sorry for the confusion.

Jennie :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T10:30:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! :D I'm an enjoying today by wearing green and eating some yummy treats my husband made, namely Irish soda bread cookies and Irish potato candy! :D Are you doing anything special today? Tell me in the comments! And enjoy this clover themed St. Patty's day mini treasury! :)

May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand. ~ Irish Blessing

Green Lucky Four Leaf Clover Bracelet by ShySiren	Lucky Clover Crochet Amigurumi by HomemadeZen
St.Patrick's Day Good Luck Cards by reneeleonestudio	Lucky Clover Greeting Card by creativeapples
Miniature Chocolate Cupcakes with Shamrock Topping by smollerup	Irish Mushroom Garden In A Bean Pot by WanderingLydia

Make sure you check out the big treasury for even more lucky finds! :)

Have a lucky day! :)

The Month of the Aquamarine

2011-03-14T10:47:00.001-04:00

March is an awesome month. It contains both St. Patrick's Day, Pi Day, and the First Day of Spring! :) It also has a very beautiful and unique birthstone: aquamarine! This stone in ancient times was thought to bring happiness and everlasting youth. It was also thought that water the stone had been submerged in contained healing powers and because of it's color it was also worn by sailors to keep them safe at sea and prevent seasickness. The most valuable color this stone comes in is still the deep-blue green color the gem is named for. So, Happy Birthday to all my friends and followers born in March! Enjoy! :)

Stuffed Plush Dragon in Blue by fabrickitchen	6 Clouds in the Sky Ceramic Tile by karoart
Aquamarine Gems Mosaic Candle Holder by Trencadis	Blue Ice Fine Art Print by JenniferLynnPhotos
Lucky Shamrock Crochet Scarf by Ayca	Enchanted Birds Concertina Photo Album by honeydesignbooks

Make sure you check out the big treasury for more March themed pieces! :)

Have a great Pi Day! :)

Epic Fantasy

2011-03-08T13:33:00.002-05:00

Also epicly hard treasury to make! I don't know if I was just really distracted this week or if I'm too picky or what, but it took me FIVE days to make this treasury! That's a new record! :)

I thought it would be fun to make a treasury based on fantasy stories since I'd been reading a lot of them lately. But it turned out to be a lot harder then I thought it would be. I think my mistake was not having a clear idea of what I wanted to include. There are SO many cool fantasy items on Etsy, I was just overwhelmed! But it's finally done! And I hope you enjoy it! :)

Carved Wood Fairy Door by TheDancingGoats	Greenman Custom Made Leather Mask by columbina
Awakening - 8x10 Print of Original Painting by EmilyBalivet	Old Dripping Candle Set by PixieDustMiniatures
Coptic Stich Wood Carved Journal by crearting	Castle of the Tiny Leprechaun by vishnya

And once again I found far too many amazing piece to include all the pictures here. So make sure you check out even more epicness in the big treasury! :)

Have a fantastic day! :)

Book Worm Day

2011-03-03T10:44:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately. I blame my new friends at Fantasy-Faction.com: a fantasy book website that does reviews and has an awesome forum where we talk about fantasy and sci-fi geeky stuff both book and non-book related. Now don't get me wrong I love fantasy books, I'm even writing one! But listening to everyone talk about all these cool books they've read all day had gotten me back into reading in a big way. I finished 3 new books in less then a week! XD

Why do I bring this up you ask? Well I noticed when I started reading again, that since I moved I no longer own any bookmarks. I find myself using receipts, scraps of paper, and even cards from my kids boardgames I find lying around. I decided something, I need to buy a bookmark. And since I know a bunch of awesome artists on Etsy that have pieces I've been lusting after for years now, I figured I'd buy one from them! :)

That's where I ran into the problem. I found too many I like! So, then I decided to pick the pieces I liked the best and make a treasury to help me decide. But it didn't help. I still can't decide! :) Maybe you guys can help me. Which bookmark do you like best? (Make sure to check out the big treasury too!)

Octopus Illustration Bookmark by jessyjes	Handprinted Happiness Canvas Bookmark by Baisimu
Serenity Firefly Bookmark (set of 3) by bohemianbear	Northern Lights 2 Bookmark by EllesDragons
Rose Eater Artist Bookmark by schin	Character Sheet Collage Bookmark by palimpsestic

And if you are a writing, reading, or fantasy buff you can also check out my much smaller blog The Write Way To Type for updates on the non-Etsy side of my hobby life. :)

Have a great day! :)

That was fun...

2011-02-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

So no mini treasury today. My computer went kerplooie over the weekend and my husband and I had to patch together a working one out of three defunked ones. Now I have a computer again, but I have to reinstall all my programs and fix all my settings again before I have time to play. :( Plus I seem to have misplaced my Paint Shop Pro CD and I definitely need that to make my mini treasuries. Hopefully I'll have everything fixed by the end of the week.

Wish me luck and have a great day! :)

Month of the Amethyst

2011-02-18T14:13:00.001-05:00

I keep thinking February is over, and I'm not sure why. But I'm glad it's not, because I almost forgot to do its birthstone post! :) February's birthstone is amethyst, which I can never spell correctly, but happens to be one of my favorite stones. :) I love its deep purple color and how amethyst crystals can be so many different shades of purple at once. :) Amethyst is actually a form of purple quartz. In ancient times they used to make drinking glasses out of it because they thought amethyst prevented drunkenness! If only it were that simple. ;)

Being that purple is one of my favorite colors and amethyst is one of my favorite stones, this was a hard treasury to make! There are just far too many beautiful amethyst pieces on Etsy! I hope you like the ones I finally picked. :) Happy birthday to all my friends and family born in February! Enjoy! :)

Kaleidoscope of Paper Butterflies by paperNplastic	Amethyst Oxidized Sterling Silver Earrings by GlitzGlitter
Amethyst Heart Felt Ornaments by SewnNatural	Purple Balcony 8x10 Fine Art Photo by rebeccaplotnick
Delphinium - Print of Watercolor by amberalexander	Amethyst Crystal Soap by amethystsoap

And here are even more beautiful pieces in the full sized treasury! :)

Have a great Friday and a beautiful weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:38:00.001-05:00

My weekend seems to have evaporated into thin air this week. I'm not sure where it went, but I was more than a little surprised to find that when I woke up this morning it was Monday already! Luckily my husband sweetened the blow a bit by making me some chocolate mint heart cookies and leaving them on my desk this morning. :) Chocolate and Valentine's Day go hand in hand, and that is why I decided that today's post is going to heavily feature some of Etsy great edible works of art: handmade chocolates! If you've got a sweet tooth, then you will want to check out today's mini treasury! Enjoy!

Gourmet Chocolate Truffles Variety Box by everydaycuteness	Half Pound of Black Liquorice Fudge by PernillasSS
Chocolate Butter Cream Candies by ChocolateMadness	Valentine's Day Assorted Truffle Box by LollipopsSugarShoppe
One Pound of Chocolate Fudge by swcreation	Chocolate Army - 5x7 Photograph by JMcGuinness

You can also check out the full treasury here! :)

Have a sweet day! :)

Giving Some Geek Love!

2011-02-11T15:20:00.001-05:00

I'm a geek. You probably knew that already, but I just like to mention it every once in a while. :) In fact I think today is the perfect day to do a little geek love treasury! After all it's Valentine's Day on Monday and geeks need love too! So here are some geek inspired hearts perfect for the ♥ of your life! :)

I Heart you Ninjas Wood Peg People by Pegged	Sucker for Love Tentacle Necklace by Gearbunny
Celtic Heart in Black Red Leather Journal by ConduitPress	Zelda Hearts Bead Bracelet by NerdGold
Heart Attack Screen Printed Necktie by toybreaker	Heart Recycled Circuit Pendant Necklace by beadworkbyamanda

Even more geek love in my full sized treasury!

And don't forget to check out my geek team Knights of the Coffee Table!

Have a geeky day! :D

Sweet Hearts

2011-02-07T11:14:00.002-05:00

It was nice to have a few sunny days last week. We've gotten more snow this year then we have in a long time. And while I don't mind snow, generally speaking, I hate the gray and gloom that comes hand in hand with snowy weather. Gray days should be for curling up in front of a fire with a good book eating some sort of cookie or pastry and drinking a nice hot cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. :) But in real life, you have to get up and clean and cook or go to work, or fulfil whatever obligations you have for the day. And I think that is inordinately unfair! :P

This is why I'm always happy when we get a few sunny days in a row during the winter. It makes me more motivated to get things done and makes everything just a little bit cheerier! :)

You know what else makes me cheery this time of year? Conversation heart candies! :D I know, half of you are saying 'Yuck! You eat those things?'. Well, yes, yes I do. :) I know they are basically compressed sugar, dyed to colors not normally found in nature, but as the other of you will attest, they are also really yummy! :D Besides, who couldn't love sweet little candies with sayings like 'I WUV U'? ;) Check out today's mini treasury and I'm sure when you're done you'll agree with me completely! Enjoy! :)

Conversation Hearts Fondant Cupcake Topper by TwoSugarBabies	Sweetheart Conversation Heart Necklace by BitOfSugar
3 Conversation Heart Counted Cross Stitch Kits by slipcoveryourlife	Conversation Hearts Note Card by dbPhoto
Mini Conversation Heart Bookmarks by HesedBooksAndGifts	Conversation Heart Mini Wreath by thekeepershouse

And of course, here is even more Valentine's Day sweetness for you to enjoy! :)

Have a great day! :)

Okay I'm Back Now

2011-02-01T15:09:00.012-05:00

Wow. That was hard! But I finally finished writing and editing my first book. Now I just have to sit back and wait to see if it gets anywhere in the contest I entered it in. :) If you'd like to know more about my book, you can check out my writing blog for more info. :)

So let's see, the last time I did a mini treasury it was the beginning of January, and here we are at the very beginning of February! And what happens in February? Valentine's Day! :D

If you've been following me for a while you probably already know that I LOVE holidays! :) I love decorating my house, I love making holiday food, and I love making holiday treasuries! :) Valentine's is one of my favorite holidays because it is one of the candy holidays! You get to eat chocolate this and chocolate that and nobody will look twice at you because, after all, Valentine's Day only comes once a year, why not indulge? ;) Which brings us to today's mini treasury, which features one of the greatest Valentine's Day foods: chocolate covered strawberries! I hope you're hungry! Enjoy! :)

Love Is Sweet Chocolate Heart Painting by santacruzart	Chocolate Covered Strawberry Earrings by inediblejewelry
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Felt Yarn Wreath by KnockKnocking	Agapanthus Floral Note Card by TeroldegoAndTomatoes
The Jack Wood Distressed Picture Frame by ellachamp	Chocolate Covered Strawberry Soap by goodkarmasoaps

And for even more deliciousness, check out the big treasury that matches it! :)

Have a sweet day! :)

I'm here honest!

2011-01-19T11:06:00.000-05:00

I was trying to get a real post together for this week, but it looks like it's not going happen. My kids have been sick since last weekend, though they are finally better today, and I'm working on finishing up the story I've been writing so I can enter it in a contest on Monday! If you're interested in hearing more about my story you can check out my new writing blog: The Write Way To Type! :) I'll go back to my regular posting after I'm done with this contest. :)

Oh, I also added a new tab to my blog called Etsy Teams. Check out the cool groups I'm currently in on Etsy! :) There's some new stuff in the Cook Links tab as well if you're interested.

Have a great week everyone! See you next Monday! :)

More Snow!

2011-01-10T10:43:00.004-05:00

It snowed again this weekend! :) This time it was just enough to make everything look pretty, but not enough to screw up the roads too badly. I decided to go out while it was still snowing and take a bunch of pics. :) I haven't fixed them all yet, but I did post a few on Flickr this morning. Here's my favorite from the bunch I've already posted:

It's a little stream, set back in the woods at the park near my house! I didn't even know it was there, because during the non-snowy season, the woods are completely overgrown with pricker bushes and you can't walk back that far. But since everything was covered with snow, I was able to walk along some of the deer paths pretty deep into the trees. :) It was so beautiful and peaceful wandering along the paths through the woods! I'll post the rest of them on Flickr either today or tomorrow. :)

In keeping with the wintry theme, today's mini treasury is all about snow! Enjoy! :)

Shakespeare Leatherbound Journal by immortallongings	Father Frost 8x10 Photography Print by photographybymoni
Snowflakes in the Sky Necklace by JanPalomboDesign	Shoulder Bag with Downhill Skier by MondayMorningStudios
Winter Wonderland Beaded Bookmark by lmgdesign	Turquoise Morning Sky Corespun Silk Yarn by greybirdtextiles

And here's the big treasury that matches it!

Have a cool day! :)

Sugar Rush!

2011-01-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

This Halloween I got a craving for a candy I hadn't had in a long time: Pixy Stix! I went out to the grocery store to pick some up, but they didn't have any. Over the next couple of weeks I searched all of the stores in my area, but I couldn't find them anywhere. :( Then on Tuesday, I went to Michael's to spend the gift card I'd gotten for Christmas and there they were, right by the checkout!

I was so excited that I called my husband to tell him and then briefly considered spending my entire gift card on Pixy Stix! :D My husband talked me down. But I did buy four bags! :) Yes I am weird, I just usually keep it to myself. ;)

I have been snacking on a few here and there all week. So while trying to come up with a theme for today's post, I decided why not do something with sugar! I looked for Pixy Stix specific items, but there weren't enough to do a standard sized treasury. Instead what I came up with is a treasury full of brightly colored sugary pieces, some of which are made of actual sugar. :) I hope you enjoy this sweet mini treasury! :)

Sweet Strawberry Ring Pop Candy Resin Ring by athinalabella	Rock Candy Soap Complete Set by LoveLeeSoaps
12 Dozen Sugar Cookie Lollipops by FunFavors	Ribbon Candy 8x10 Fine Art Print by SharonWhelton
Vegan Marshmallow Sushi Candy by friendlycreationss	Orange Creamsicle Polymer Clay Necklace by roscata

And here is the big treasury that matches it!

Have a sweet day! :)

The Month of the Garnet

2011-01-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a great and festive December! Anyone make any New Year's resolutions? I did. I finally decided to steal my friend Bill's resolution and resolve not to make any more resolutions! He's stuck to it for about ten years now, so I think it's my best bet for actually following through with one. :)

The snow around here is about half way gone. It's been over 40 degrees for the last three days or so. If it keeps up I figure we'll be back to just grass again by the weekend. New Jersey weather is really weird...

Anyway, now it's January. And January's birthstone is garnet! I love garnet. :) Red is one of my favorite colors and while rubies are very nice, I love the deep red color of garnets. Because of it's deep red color people in ancient times thought garnet had the ability to stop bleeding and cure disorders of the blood. It was also given as gifts between friends to ensure they would meet again. :) So to all my friends and followers born in January, Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy this garnet mini treasury and that you have a happy and blessed birth month! :)

Red Flyer Bicycle 8x8 Fine Art Print by Raceytay	Vintage 70s Deep Merlot Velvet Dress from Lolavintage
Garnet Sunset Owl with Log Perch by HandworkNaturals	Garnet Hard Candy Gems Pomegranate by VintageConfections
Cable Knit Lotus Purse in Burgundy by efran	Modern Numbers Clock Poppy Red by uncommon

Here's the link to the matching treasury if you'd like to see more! :)

Oh, I almost forgot! I added some more quotes and a new section to my Quotes Page if you'd like to check it out. :)

Have a great day! :)

Cookie Weekend!

2010-12-20T09:47:00.001-05:00

Quick post today! :) This weekend was a lot of fun and FULL of junk food! My husband made a bunch of cookies for our Christmas party on Saturday. Then on Sunday we went to my mom's and the kids decorated some gingerbread men. :) Well they mostly just dumped sprinkles on them and ate all the chocolate chips, but they did have fun! :) With all the cookies in their various forms around this weekend, I decided that Christmas cookies would be a good theme for today's mini treasury! Enjoy! :)

Faux Coconut Macaroon Tree Ornament 'Recipe' by JenniBOriginals	Woolly Gingerbread Cookie Pattern by woollysomething
Vintage Christmas Tree Jello Molds from VintagePatriotGirl	Christmas Cocoa Felt Play Food by LittlePicklepotamus
Oh Christmas Tree - 18 Cookies by SweetArtSweets	Four Little Dunkers Cups in SunBurst by pagepottery

And make sure you check out the big treasury for even more goodies! :)

If I don't get a chance to post again before Christmas, I hope you have a beautiful holiday! Stay safe and don't eat too much! ;)

Have a great day!

The Month of Turquoise

2010-12-13T13:27:00.002-05:00

See I told you I'd be back! ;) I have been a busy little bee lately. I had two birthday parties, a cookie swap and a craft show last weekend. This week I have to clean the whole house and decorate (cause I have nothing up yet), because this weekend I have a Christmas party at my house and cookie party for my kids! December is nuts this year! :) Oh and I haven't started Christmas shopping yet! :o

So I'm sure at this point your asking yourself why I'm blogging at all. Well, partly because I'm crazy, and partly because this is way more fun then cleaning my house! :) And in the spirit of procrastination I've not only taken the time to do a blog post, but I've also done a December birthstone mini treasury. Hope you enjoy this collection of turquoise treasures! :)

Good Luck - Binary Code Bracelet by adotelise	White Tree 8x10 Print by suchprettycolors
Simply Stunning Turquoise Banana Silk Shawl by VioletStarCreations	Teal Leather Engraved Book with Suede Tie by AwakenJournaling
Pale Blue Chocolate Box - 1/12 Miniature by PetitPlat	3D Beveled Glass Snowflake Ornament by snlcreations

And here's a big treasury to match it! :)

Have a great week and Happy Birthday to all my friends and family born in December! :D

Geek Pride Day!

2010-12-10T11:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Geek Pride Day everyone! :) Today is all about ending bullying and celebrating what makes us all different! It was inspired by a little girl named Katie who was bullied at school for liking Star Wars. The boys in her class said girls weren't allowed to like Star Wars because it was only for boys! Her mother found out about it and posted about it on her blog. The response from the geek community was incredible! :D You can read the whole story on CNN.com.

Katie's school is having a Proud To Be Me Day today, where all the students and teachers are coming to school wearing their favorite character t-shirt, whether it's Star Wars, My Little Pony, or NASCAR, to show that we can all be different and all still be friends. In support of these great kids doing their best to increase understanding and end bullying, geeks across the globe are all sporting their favorite geeky t-shirts. You can check out the latest on Geek Pride Day by checking out the Twitter tag #MayTheForceBeWithKatie.

Katie was also offered many toys and gifts from her new fans. While she was grateful to receive so many gifts and offers of gifts, her and her mother would like to offer a challenge instead. Today if you can afford it, donate a toy to your local hospital or children's charity to help support our future geeks and make a less fortunate child's Christmas a little bit happier. :) If you're not sure where you can donate toys in your area, I would suggest checking out Child's Play an organization run by the people at Penny-Arcade that donates toys to local hospitals, or Toys For Tots which is run by the U.S. Marine Corps.

In honor of geeks everywhere I would like to present today's mini treasury, chock full of delicious geekiness! Enjoy! :)

Jayne Cobb Knit Hat from Firefly by whitakerknits	Geek Glass Statement Pendant by Sabrieth
Recycled Book 8-Bit Mega Man Art by dpad	Orange and Gold Steampunk Goggles by SteampunkGear
Star Wars Boba Fett Illustration by mediagraffitistudio	Vworp Vworp Vworp - Doctor Who Print by powerups

You can check out the full treasury for even more geek goodies! Also if you'd like, you can take a second and check out my new Etsy team: Knights of the Coffee Table. It's a safe haven for all geek loving Etsians and both sellers and buyers are welcome to join! :)

Have a great geeky day and May the Force be With You! :D

Hello again! :)

2010-12-06T12:58:00.002-05:00

I am in fact alive, I've just been ridiculously busy lately. I've also been having trouble with my wrists, which is why I haven't posted in awhile. But I wanted to make sure I wished all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or just a Happy Holiday in general! I'll hopefully be going back to posting at least once a week this month, then back to posting a few times a week come January. If I don't see you before January, I hope you enjoy the love and friendship of the holiday season!

Have a great day! :)

Geeks I Need Your Help!

2010-11-19T09:49:00.006-05:00

Last night I read an article a mother posted about her daughter in first grade. She had been bullied at school for having a Star Wars waterbottle by the boys in her class, because girls aren't supposed to like Star Wars!

This is not cool on any level! If you've got time, you should post a comment in the article in support of the little girl who's name is Kaite. Here's the link to the article via Epbot, a geek blog run by Jenn from CakeWrecks.com.

Geek Girls, Activate!

If you don't feel like posting a long comment you can tweet your support using the tag #MayTheForceBeWithKatie. The official Star Wars and NASA twitter accounts have both tweeted about it since last night! And this morning they did a post about it on the Official Star Wars blog!

Not being nearly as important as NASA or the official Star Wars team, I decided to do my best to help the only way I can, by posting about it. :) So this morning I made up a Star Wars treasury in honor of Katie and all my fellow girl geeks out there! That a look! :)

Star Wars is for Girls Too! :D

Bullies suck and geeks rule! Spread the word! :)

Bare Trees and Falling Leaves

2010-11-15T10:08:00.001-05:00

Busy weekend! The craft show on Saturday went pretty well. It was so much easier setting up at a show where we didn't have to provide the tables or a tent! Here's a pic of our table.

You can click on the picture to see more pics of the table on Flickr. I still have yet to unpack completely, but that's mostly because yesterday was spent raking all the leaves out of our yard.

Now I have to preface the rest of this post with this picture.

This was my last house. It had a big yard, but notice there are no trees. I haven't had to rake any leaves in seven years. Yesterday, my husband and I raked leaves for 2 hours! Then I had to stop and he took another 45 minutes to finish! Here is a picture of HALF of the leaves we raked up!

Now it was the most beautiful fall day we've had in a long time and it was fun to get out and watch the kids jump in the leaves. I also know it was good exercise and I did need to get out of the house, but I am sooo sore today! I am so glad we have mostly maple trees, because I think we might be able to get away with not raking again this season! :)

Anyway, the other nice thing about spending all that time outside, was it gave me a nice idea for a mini treasury! So I hope you enjoy it, the theme is empty trees and red leaves!

Here There Be Dragons - Red Maple Forest Print by Raceytay	Red Coral Fossil Sleeping Tree of Life Pendant With Chain by tescar
Red Little Batik Baby Hoodie with a Tree by batikwalla	Autumn Tree - Hand-Bound Classic Journal by veterok
Autumn Bonsai - Wire Tree Sculpture by salvatore7	Bare Pine Trees in Winter Wall Decal by singlestonestudios

And if you'd like to see more awesome Etsy picks, make sure you check out the big treasury!

Have a lovely day! :)

News Update

2010-11-12T11:35:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! I have been ridiculously busy lately! I guess that's a good thing, but unfortunately the first thing I have to give up when I'm busy is my blog. :( Poor blog, it's been lonely without me. ;)

What have I been up to? Well aside from chasing my kids around for longer periods of time (they just stopped taking naps) and trying to get my house to stay clean for longer then two minutes, I've also been getting ready for a craft show I'm doing this Saturday! More on that after today's mini treasury.

What is today's mini treasury you ask? Well it oddly enough is themed after the second thing that's been keeping me insanely busy for the last couple of weeks: NaNoWriMo. For those of you that don't know, November is National Novel Writing Month. In honor of this occasion, thousands of writers across the country participate in an event called NaNoWriMo. It is a thirty day event, where in you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel, starting on Nov. 1 and ending on Nov. 30.

Yes that does sound crazy, I'm glad you agree. :) However be that as it may, for some reason, this year I decided it would be a fun idea to try it. Now I'm not a writer, in that I've never written or attempted to write a book, but I had a crazy dream that I just had to write down, and it has so far turned into a 30,000 word novel! As you may have noticed from reading this blog, my spelling and grammar leave something to be desired, but my husband has agreed to proofread it when I'm done writing, and this has been way more fun then I could have imagined! I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with telling you what I'm writing yet, but if you guys are interested, I'll tell you about it when it's finished. :)

Anyway, here is today's treasury: a homage to National Novel Writing Month! Enjoy! :)

Popular Pencil Embroidered Wall Art by Moxiedoll	Willy the Writing Monster Writing Set by mamaroots
Vintage Royal Typewriter Tee by CausticThreads	Mug in Cobalt Blue and Yellow by aspeerstudio
The Book Kiss 5x7 Photograph by kclarkphotography	Novels Text Steel Bookends by KnobCreekMetalArts

And of course, please check out the big treasury for even more writing inspired goodness! :)

Now about the craft show I mentioned earlier. It is going to be at St. Gregory the Great School in Hamilton Square, NJ. It runs from 9am to 3pm. Here's a map, if you're not sure where it is.

View Larger Map

I'm not sure where my table is going to be yet, but I'll know tonight and post an update at the bottom of this post when I find out. And since I love you all so much, I'll even give you a coupon to print out and bring with you to the show! Just click on the picture to open it in a new window. :)

Alright, that's all for now! I promise I'll start posting more regularly starting next week. Hope you all have a great weekend! :)

The Month of the Topaz

2010-11-07T06:55:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! I've been busy as a bee getting ready for a craft show I'm going to next Saturday. But I wanted to do this treasury before it got too late in the month. Last month I totally forgot to post the birthstone treasury until, well, this month! So even though this is a treasury of the November birthstone of Topaz, I'm also going to take this opportunity to say happy birthday to everyone born in October as well!

Pure topaz is actually colorless, it is the other chemicals found with it that give it its many colors. The kind know as orange (or yellow) topaz, which is the color we most think of when we hear the word topaz is the birthstone for November. It is a symbol of friendship, and its name comes from the Sanskrit word and meaning fire. So to all my friends and family who's birthdays are in November (and October) hope you have a very Happy Birthday! Enjoy! :)

Vintage Topaz Heart Rhinestone Brass Locket Necklace by brideblu	Sunflower Silk Scarf Hand Painted by Palettepassion
Landscape with Barn 30x40 Fine Art Photograph by eyeful	Chocolate Amber Cold Process Soap Bar by LippincottSoapCo
Hand Blown Glass Ornament in Topaz by luminita	Vintage 1970's Gold Crushed Velvet Coat by bytheway

And make sure you check out the big treasury for even more beautiful topaz pieces!

Have a great day! :)

Happy Halloween! :D

2010-10-31T09:30:00.001-04:00

Trick-or-treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat! :D Hope you have a fun and safe Halloween and you get lots of your favorite candy! While you're waiting for it to get dark enough to go trick-or-treating, please enjoy this sugary selection of seasonal candy! Enjoy! :)

Cuddly Candy Corn Plushie by bubbletime	Candy Corn Pop-Up Card by tracychong
Candy Corn Cauldron Soy Candle by AutumnMeadow	Candy Corn LEGO Block Ring by Gr0glmann
Candy Corn Cupcake Earrings by maggiesze1	Trick Or Treat Candy 11x14 Print by shannonleighstudios

And for even more sweetness check out the big treasury that matches it!

Happy Halloween everyone! :D

Two More Days!

2010-10-29T11:36:00.001-04:00

I can't wait! I love Halloween! This year I made up gift bags for the trick-or-treaters. I hope I made enough, this will be our first Halloween in this neighborhood, and there seem to be a lot of kids in the area. I picked up a couple extra bags of candy in case I run out. My kids are all excited too! Their cousin is going to go trick-or-treating with them and then we are all going to come back to the house and have a party! I hope you have something fun planned for Halloween too! :)

Today is a pretty epic day treasury wise. I have finally come to the end of my Across Etsy treasury series with the last category Accessories! :) I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed making it! If you'd like to see all the other treasuries in this series, check out my Etsy Treasuries section for a complete list with links. And now without further ado, Accessories Across Etsy! Enjoy! :)

Pumpkin Orange Kandle Korset by WineCorkJewelryETC	Roe Silk Hand Painted Scarf by DoubleLuck
Orange Gerbera Daisy Fascinator by BrassPaperclip	Polymer Clay Jacko Cuff Links by beatblack
Leather Wallet with Antique Skeleton Key by urbanheirlooms	Warm Cable Scarf - Pumpkin by SheepishKnitCrochet

And of course, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches it!

Happy Halloween everyone! :)

Quick Post Today

2010-10-25T08:19:00.003-04:00

Getting into the home stretch, Halloween is less than a week away! :) And what could be better to get into the Halloween 'spirit' then a treasury of ghouls, ghosts, and zombies! Enjoy today's treasury based on Art Across Etsy!

Art Doll Goth Zombie Cake Toppers by loopyboopy	Zombie Contessa Altered Art Print by BeatUpCreations
Mr. Bones Carved Wood Figure by karlart	Jolly Roger - Black Filigree Earrings by grigiodesign
Zombie Note Cards with Envelopes by weeklyzombie	Mika - Zombie Kokeshi Doll by Protean

And if you think that's spooky, check out the big treasury that matches it!

Have a creepy day! :)

One down, Two to go!

2010-10-20T09:50:00.002-04:00

I'm finally getting to the end of my Across Etsy treasury series! Only two more left after today. It's been a lot of fun to do! And in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll explain exactly how this series works. My Across Etsy series is based off of Etsy's categories. I pick a category and use it as my keyword in a search. Then go through all the other categories and try to find pieces based on that keyword. It's amazing to see how the different categories on Etsy cross and re-cross each other. I started with Woodworking and have been making my way up the list. So far I've done one for each category except Plants & Edibles and Dolls & Miniatures, where I split the two halves into separate treasuries. After today, the only two I have left to do are Art and Accessories. I'm guessing Art is going to be a hard one, but we'll see. :) Today's mini treasury is based on the Bags and Purses category. Enjoy! :)

Queen of Hearts Felted Bag by DebAllenFrippery	A Chair and A Bag 8x8 Fine Art Print by fieryeyed
Button Looped Porcelain Hand Bag by braypottery	Autumn Gnome in an Oak Leaf Pouch by LittleRedWhimsy
Vintage Multicolor 1980s Leather Purse from OldBaltimoreVintage	Wedding Clutch Bag with Vintage Millinery Flowers by aaliciawedding

If you want to see more fabulous bags, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches today's post! :)

Have a great day! :)

And the winner is...

2010-10-19T09:28:00.002-04:00

And the winner of the beautiful Mia Kitty is...Dim! :)

Congrats on your win! And thank you to everyone won entered our contest!

So I guess this week I should get my butt in gear and do some actually posting on here. After all Halloween is fast approaching and I only have a few more categories left in my Across Etsy treasury series! So today let's combine those two things and take a look at Bath and Beauty, Halloween style! Enjoy! :)

Red Blood Cell Soaps by CleanerScience	Recycled Glass Jolly Roger Soap Dispenser by BreadandBadger
The Lipstick People Digital Print by jrbaileydesigns	Strange Brew - Perfume Bottle Necklace by ghostlovejewelry
20 Skull Pirate Soaps by pepperapothecary	Red American Tourister Train Case from TagSaleFinds

And make sure you check out the big treasury for even more amazing goodies! Have a great day! :)

Last Chance!

2010-10-18T08:48:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I didn't post very much last week. Sorry about that. I did get a lot done though! And even though I'm still working on a lot of stuff offline, I absolutely had to post today, because today is the last day of the kitten give away! :)

If you enter my contest by Midnight EST tonight, Mia the kitten could come and live with you! :) She is hand knit, and hand felted and really needs a good home! Check out my Giveaways page for information on how you can win Mia! :)

The winner will be announced tomorrow, so make sure you check back to find out if you won! Have a great day! :)

I'm not dead!

2010-10-13T11:03:00.002-04:00

Or a zombie! ;) I'm just trying to dig out from under all the stuff that has accumulated in my work area. You know, so I can see the floor again! I'll be back tomorrow, with a real post I promise! :)

While you wait, why don't you enter my current giveaway? You could win this cute knit kitten! :)

Head to my Giveaways page for more information! But hurry, the contest ends on Monday!

See you tomorrow! :)

Getting Closer!

2010-10-07T11:08:00.001-04:00

I bought our Halloween candy yesterday. Now I all I have to do is finish decorating the outside of the house and make sure no one eats the candy till Halloween, and I'll be done! :) This will be the first Halloween in our new house, so I have no idea how many kids will show up. Our last neighborhood had hardly any kids, and was out in the middle of nowhere. This year we are in a real neighborhood, so I think we'll have a LOT more kids! I hope I bought enough candy... Do you get a lot of trick-or-treaters at your house? How much candy do you buy? I guess if I run out of candy, I can always start giving out snack food from the cabinet. :)

And speaking of Halloween, today's mini treasury is Books and Zines Across Etsy, and since I'm in a Halloween mood, it ended up with a very spooky motif. Enjoy! (If you dare...) :o

Miss Skeleton Book Photo Locket Ring by grigiodesign	Tiny Hand Bound Leather Journal Necklace by NewPrehistory
Vintage Antique Halloween Witch Book from UpcycleRepurpose	A Witch's Break - 1/12 Miniature by PetitPlat
The Raven and The Moon Halloween Book Wreath by SimpleJoysPaperie	Romantic Vampires - 9 Backgrounds Digital Collage by sabrinazanetti

If you'd like to see more creepily fantastic pieces, check out the big treasury that matches this one!

And if that selection was a little too scary for you, why not check out my giveaway of cuddly cuteness! You could win this adorable knit kitty cat! :)

For more information on how to enter, see my Giveaways page!

Have a spooky day! :)

What is that?

2010-10-06T09:48:00.001-04:00

It's some sort of bright light in the sky. Could it really be the sun?? Yesterday it was 6:30am ALL DAY! It didn't get any brighter at all, just thick, low gray clouds and rain the whole time. It felt like the sun was never going to come back! But today, it's clear and sunny! Thank goodness! :) It's so much easier to get motivated to do things when it's bright and cheery outside. :)

By now you may have noticed, that I didn't get a chance to post yesterday's mini treasury, yesterday. Unfortunately the weather being gray and rainy, has the opposite affect on my children that it has on me, they get hyperactive! So, yesterday was spent chasing them around my house. Today, whether it's muddy or not, we are going outside so they can blow off some steam! But right now, I have more important things to do, like post today's (well yesterday's) mini treasury! :)

Today's theme is Candles Across Etsy! Hopefully if it's gray and rainy where you live, the warm glow of candlelight will help you get through your day a little easier. :) Enjoy! :)

Orange Mosaic Tealight Holder by Kellybean607	Birthday Celebrations - Photo Greeting Card by JMcGuinness
Dollhouse Candles Wood Bowl by miniaturecabindecor4	Autumn Maple Leaf Luminary by paperplanet
Candle - Original Oil Painting by jpwalter	Vintage Heavy Pottery Insulator from susantique

If you like the small treasury, then make sure you check out the big treasury that matches it!

And, don't forget to enter my latest giveaway. You could win this adorable fall kitten!

For more information, check out my Giveaways page! Have a warm and bright day! :)

And the winner of the bacon is....

2010-10-05T09:06:00.001-04:00

...Cindy from hellcatvintage! Congrats Cindy! I'll send your information to HashDelectableEdible and let her know you'd like to try the candied bacon! Thanks to everyone who participated. And if you didn't win, you can always try entering my current giveaway here! :) What am I giving away this time?

Why a cute little kitty named Mia! :) Check out my Giveaways page for more information! :)

It's rainy here again, and my kids are starting to climb the walls. I'm not sure how mothers survived before TV and computers! But even with electric entertainment the kids aren't giving me two minutes to myself the last couple days. :P This means I haven't had time to make up today's treasury yet. But rather then delay in telling you all who won this morning, I'm going to post this now, and post the treasury after I've completed it.

Wish me luck and I'll see you soon! ;)

Monday Giveaway Day!

2010-10-04T09:26:00.006-04:00

So it's Monday once again. And for those of us who dislike Mondays, I have some news today that will hopefully make your day a little bit brighter. Today I have TWO giveaways going, where you can win amazingly awesome stuff! :D

The first giveaway is brand new today! :D My cousin Amber who runs ThreadbareKnitter, is giving away a free orphan kitty! Her name is Mia.

Mia the Orphaned Kitten

Mia is made from soy-wool yarn and is knitted, then hand felted by Amber. She is a beautiful autumn cranberry color, with two white button eyes and a white heart to show she loves you. :) She will come to you, with her own personalized name tag. Amber's kittens are soft and huggable, and I'm sure Mia would love to come home with you!

*Update!* The kitten giveaway is now closed! Check my Giveaways page to see who won! :)

And, as if that weren't enough to make your morning a little brighter, today is your last chance to enter my bacon giveaway! So, if you haven't entered to win some delicious candied bacon from HashDelectableEdible, do it now!

*Update!* The bacon giveaway is now closed! Check my Giveaways page to see who won! :)

Good luck everyone and have a great day! :D

A REALLY Early Post

2010-10-02T07:41:00.001-04:00

Heading off to do a yard sale at a friend's house with my mom and sister. That means two things. 1) I had to get up REALLY early and won't be able to post the big treasury for this post till later today. 2) I get a morning with no kids, cause my husband is staying home with them! :D So right now, I am groggy, but in an excellent mood! The weather looks good, I hope we get a lot of people through today. Speaking of today, today's mini treasury's theme is Ceramics and Pottery Across Etsy. The colors for today are reminiscent of a big hot bowl of creamy tomato soup! Which I could definitely use this morning, because it is really cold here! Enjoy! :)

Natural Edge Maple and Tile Trivet by firewoodfurniture	Little Mushroom House with Red Flower Roof by sunshineceramics
Ceramic Turquoise Bowl with Love Birds by orlydesign	1/12 Scale Tomato Soup with Creme Fraiche Spiderweb by mousemarket
Upcycled Soy Teacup Candle by ravennagirls	Teapot in Blue Slate Glaze by pagepottery

I'll post the matching treasury, when I come home from the yard sale. Wish me luck! And have a great day! :)

*Update*

Here's the matching treasury! Oh and for some reason I posted this using yesterday's date. I changed it, but I'm not sure how that happened! :)

Happy October Everybody!

2010-10-01T11:55:00.001-04:00

I am SO glad September is finally over! It always seems like the longest month in the year! :) I got my Halloween decorations down from the attic yesterday. My kids are all excited to go trick-or-treating now. I let them have their plastic pumpkin buckets to play with, and now they keep asking me if today is Halloween yet! :) Silly kids! :) Speaking of kids, today's mini treasury is Children Across Etsy! At first I wasn't sure which way to go with this theme, but I decided since today is October 1st, I would do a children's Halloween theme! Enjoy! :)

Yummy Mummy Nutter Butter Cookies by lavieenrosebakery	Trick or Treat Square Hair Clip by detailsshop
Haunted House with Pumpkin Sky Fine Art Print by annya127	Halloween Cupcake Soap with Bat by pinkparchmentsoaps
Orange and Black Cupcake Beanie by herbalnights	Safety Cone Pretends to be a Witch by EternalSunshine

For even more spookiness, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches this one! :)

And if you can't wait till Halloween for something sweet, check out my Giveaway page to find out how you can win some delicious candied bacon! :)

Have a sweet day! :)

It's a blustery day out today!

2010-09-30T11:56:00.001-04:00

Why do I feel like Winnie the Pooh today? It probably has something to do with how windy and fall like it is outside. :) And this blustery day is promising to turn into a very raining day as well! We are supposed to get 2" of rain! I guess I'm staying home for the rest of the day. :)

I didn't post anything yesterday, because I had to take my youngest to the doctor for his physical. He got shots. That was fun. :P Luckily today he (and his brothers) are in a pretty good mood, so I actually have gotten a lot done today already! :) That of course includes today's treasury: Clothing Across Etsy! This one is a chocolate cream flavored treasury. I guess I was hungry when I made it! Enjoy! :)

Blouse with Chocolate Charmeuse by TheSparklingCocktail	Real Dark Belgian Couverture Chocolate Shoe by Elektra1
Baby Shower Thank You Notes with Onesie by graciegirlnotes	Blythe Doll Chocolate Cupcake Dress by pistachiolibby
Snow and Chocolate Lace Textile Cuff with Vintage Button by Folk	3D Origami Shirt with Pink Tie Favor Box by PaperScissorsRocks

And make sure you check out the even more delicious main treasury!

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway! There's only 4 days left to win free candied, chipotle, or chocolate covered bacon!

Check out my Giveaways page for more details. Have a sweet day! :)

It's raining, it's pouring!

2010-09-28T10:47:00.001-04:00

It has been gray, rainy, and blah out for the last two days. Now don't get me wrong, I like a nice fall rain, and we sure could use it around here anyway. But, I think rainy days are best spent curled up with a good book and some hot cocoa under nice warm snuggley blanket. :) Now that I'm a mom, that's not really an option anymore. :P This leaves me very unmotivated on days like this. I should be doing dishes or laundry or something else productive, but instead, I've been making treasuries. :) So today I actually have two treasuries to share with you! :) The first is the second half of Dolls and Miniatures: Miniatures Across Etsy!

- Miniatures Across Etsy -

I love miniatures, and I think this treasury came out perfectly! :)

The second treasury I did, was based on the Crochet category. This was an interesting one to do. I had no idea that you could crochet things out of metal! And some of the pieces are so small and delicate looking, it's amazing! :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Lace Doily Ikebana Vase in Tan by kensgardenpottery	Cafe au Lait Mushroom Garden by WanderingLydia
Gilbert - Miniature Mohair Bear by knittingdreams	I Love Crochet 8x10 Photography Print by heatherkingdesigns
Laptop Sleeve for 13" Macbook by sandrastju	Celtic Reversible Afghan by DogwoodRainbow

And make sure you check out the big treasury for more amazing pieces!

And if you're like me and you get the munchies on rainy, gray days, make sure you enter my giveaway to win free bacon! :)

Have a relaxing day! :)

Monday is Giveaway Day! :)

2010-09-27T08:32:00.002-04:00

Since I'm not a fan of Mondays, I thought I'd start this work week off with something fun. How about some giveaways? :)

As you might now I am currently running an awesome giveaway with HashDelectableEdible. She has been kind enough to offer one of my loyal blog readers a sample order of her scrumptiously yummy bacon!

And not just any bacon, this is candied bacon! If you win, you can choose between regular, chipotle, or chocolate covered! And yes I did say chocolate covered bacon. See?

And I can tell you from experience, that the chocolate covered bacon is REALLY good! :) So now that I have your complete attention, I bet you're wondering how you can win this mouth-watering treat. Well it's very simple, just follow the instructions below. :)

- First, Follow my blog.
- Then, Go to HashDelectableEdible and check out all the yummy treats available.
- When you're done, go Here, and tell me in the comments on the page, which flavor bacon you'd like to try and why. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you, so I can let you know if you're the winner.
- You can also get an extra chance to win by favoriting HashDelectableEdible on Etsy! :)

The contest runs through October 4th and the winner will be announced on Tuesday October 5th. :) For more information on this contest you can check out my Giveaways page.

And there's more!

Just in case you're not a big bacon fan, I'll be starting a non-bacon giveaway next week! What will the giveaway be? Something cute and cuddly and looking for a good home. I'm of course talking about an orphaned kitten. :)

Isn't she cute? :D So come back next week for your chance to win Mia the Kitten from threadbareknitter! :) Make sure you check out my Giveaways page for more information!

Have a great Monday! :)

Quick Post Today

2010-09-24T11:00:00.001-04:00

Not feeling real well today, so I'll just do a quick post. I finished up the next Across Etsy treasury, but I didn't get time to make a mini treasury for it. Today's theme was the Dolls half of Dolls and Miniatures. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to do the Miniatures part. Here's one of my favorite pieces from today's treasury. :)

- Dolls Across Etsy -

You can click on the picture to see the whole treasury. :) And don't forget to visit my Giveaways page to enter a chance to win some delicious bacon from HashDelectableEdible!

Have a great day! :)

Happy First Day of Fall 2010!

2010-09-23T09:55:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day of fall! And of course it's going to be 85 degrees here today. Stupid New Jersey weather! But at least its going to be nice on Saturday, because my family and I are going apple picking! I can't wait! I love walking through the orchard and eating apples right off the tree! :) Then we get to come home and make apple crisp and apple pie! Yum! What fall things are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments! But first take a look at some beautiful autumn inspired picks in today's mini treasury! Enjoy! :)

Copper Tree and Leaves Bookmark by kitandcaboodleshop	Caramel Apple - Ganache Body Butter by solsticescents
Miniature Poison Apple Pie by PixieDustMiniatures	Autumn Leaf 11x14 Fine Art Photograph by octoberphotography
Votive Candle Holder Autumn Maple Leaves by kueblerelves	Milk Glass Bowl with Ceramic Apples from thisisthisthatisthat

And if you liked those, check out the big treasury that matches it!

Fall is perfect for hot breakfasts! And what is the perfect breakfast food? Why bacon of course!

Stop by my Giveaways page or click here to learn how you can win some free bacon!

Have a beautiful day! :)

So sleepy...

2010-09-22T10:26:00.001-04:00

I've started to notice the sun is coming up later and later in the morning. I actually like it when it gets to this time of year because (luckily for me) my husband gets up with our kids in the morning, and I don't have to get up till he leaves for work at 8 o'clock. So if the sun wants to sleep in with me, I'm totally cool with that. However, for some reason, it seems that I am sleepier in the mornings when there is less light. Is it possible I'm solar powered? Maybe I'm so comfy in bed when it's dark, that part of me is still there after I get up? Whatever the reason, for the last week I have been dragging every morning. I'm hoping my body readjusts to the new season soon, or I'm going to have to get a caffeine IV drip for the mornings from now on! :)

Luckily I was awake enough this morning to get today's mini treasury done! :) Today's theme is Furniture Across Etsy! :) Enjoy! :)

Hand Knit Cream Armchair Slip Cover by BiscuitScout	Red Miniature Wood Cabinet by stampersaurus
Eames Rocker Painting - Acrylic on Canvas by moderncasestudies	Starfish Mirror Beach Decor by beachgrasscottage
Dandelion Scatter Cushion with Insert by bluegingerdesigns	Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufman Fabric from fabricworm

And if you'd like to see more unique furniture pieces, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches this one.

Hungry for more? Stop by my Giveaways page or click here to learn how you can win some free bacon!

Have a great day! :)

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth!

2010-09-21T10:42:00.001-04:00

Wow! That was hard! As you may know from reading my blog, I've been working through a series of treasuries based on Etsy's categories. I take the title of a category and use it as a search term, then go through all the other categories looking for cool items based on the search. It's a fun way to see all the different ways you can use different techniques to make wonderful pieces of art! :) So far I'm a little more then halfway done and I've only had one or two that I've had a hard time with. Today, however, beat them all!

Today's theme is Geekery. Now I know what you're thinking, "There's tons of geek stuff on Etsy, why was today's treasury so hard to make?" Well actually, that ended up being the problem! There is so much great geek stuff, from so many different aspects of geekdom, that it took forever to narrow it down to a theme and color scheme. It has literally taken me hours to sort through all the amazingly cool geeky stuff on Etsy and narrow it down to only 16, then 6 items!

Unfortunately, I was not able to include ALL of the aspects of geek life or all of the different types of geeks out there, but I did my best. And I hope you enjoy, this colorful ode to Geeks Across Etsy! :)

Pwn That Shower Dice Soap by rainbowdarknesss	Geek - The Word Wall Art by artworksstudio
Knit Dice Bag with Dice by ThreadbareKnitter	Set of 6 Rainbow Ninja Companions by Lilley
Transformers Greeting Cards - Set of 4 by creativeapples	Tetris Messenger Bag - Original Fabric by pecansandies

And for even more geekiness, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches today's post! :)

And what geek doesn't like bacon? Stop by my Giveaways page or click here to learn how you can win some free yummilious bacon!

Have a geeky day! :)

Epic Giveaway!

2010-09-18T21:21:00.026-04:00

*UPDATE* This Giveaway is Closed! You can see who won by going to my Giveaways page! Thanks to everyone for entering!

So I hope you're hungry this morning, because today is the first day of my first giveaway! :) Over the weekend I was lucky enough to get to sample some products from a remarkable Etsy shop: Hash Delectable Edibles!

If you've never been to her shop you must check it out! In addition to yummy baked goods such as delicious sugar cookies and pies, she also has a unique and awesome item that everyone must try! What is it? It's bacon!

Candied Chipotle Bacon

And not just your everyday run of the mill bacon, but yummy delicious candied bacon, candied chipotle bacon, and even chocolate covered bacon! Now I know what you're thinking, "Chocolate covered bacon?? That's weird and probably tastes funny!" Well I am here to tell you, that not only is chocolate covered bacon unbelievably yummy, it is also addicting! I tried some of the Milk Chocolate Covered Candied Bacon and it was amazing!

Milk Chocolate Covered Candied Bacon

First you get the sweetness of the chocolate, then all of a sudden, WHAM! You get the saltiness from the bacon. It sort of reminded me a chocolate covered pretzel that was chewy instead of crunchy, but with just a touch of smokiness. So good!

Not much into bacon? Well luckily for you the baked goods at HashDelectableEdible are just as good! :) Since she was sending me a sample of her bacon for me to review, I also ended up buying one of her Craveable Sugar Cookie Sampler. :)

The Works Craveable Iced Sugar Cookies Mix

And if you think these colorful cookies look good, you should try tasting them! :) You get one cookie of each flavor:

Raspberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Orange Creme, Lemon, Key Lime, Coconut, Blueberry, Buttered Rum, Vanilla, Chocolate, Almond, Root Beer Float, & Peanut Butter

My family's favorites were the Orange Creme:

And the Coconut:

Except my husband, he liked the Almond the best! :)

Her best seller overall is the peanut butter. And I can certainly see why! The frosting was so think and creamy, it was amazing! :)

Peanut Butter Craveables Frosted Sugar Cookies

All of the sugar cookies were soft and moist and the frostings were sweet and flavorful! If you love sugar cookies, I would definitely suggest picking up some these tasty treats. And if your pretty sure you already know which cookie will be your favorite, she also offers a Pick Your Own Craveable Mix, where you can get an assortment of your favorites, or just a whole bunch of one kind! :)

So now that I've got you all hungry and drooling, wouldn't you love to win a free sample from HashDelectableEdible? Well then today is your lucky day! All you have to do to win a free order of yummy, delicious bacon is do the following:

- First, Follow my blog.
- Then, Go to HashDelectableEdible and check out all the yummy treats available.
- When you're done, Come back here, and tell me in the comments below, which flavor bacon you'd like to try and why. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you, so I can let you know if you're the winner.
- You can also get an extra chance to win by favoriting HashDelectableEdible on Etsy! :)

This contest will run through October 4th and is open to US residents only. The winner will be picked randomly, then announced on Tuesday October 5th. Good luck everybody! :)

*Mandatory Disclaimer* I received no monetary compensation for this review. I did received a product sample of the bacon to review, but the cookies I purchased myself. All opinions expressed here are truthful and mine. Your opinions may vary. :)

And now I'll leave you with my latest mini treasury: Glass Across Etsy! Enjoy! :)

Old Fashioned Hard Candy Sea Glass Candy by tHeENDpeace	Tiffany Woodbine Reproduction Lamp by BoomGlassArt
Happy Bubbles Hand Painted on Glass by avgustvarjanja	Orange Thumbprint Glass Vase by Jesswainer
Pyrex Glass Sunflower Mixing Bowl Set by cheshirecatantiques	Amber Winds Silhouette Candle Holder by TreeWingsStudio

And make sure you check out the big treasury that matches! Have a sweet day! :)

The Month of the Sapphire

2010-09-17T13:08:00.002-04:00

Moving away from fall colors today, with a post feature September's birthstone: the Sapphire! :) I've always loved sapphires. It's my favorite stone after emerald (my birthstone) and my favorite color after purple. :) Sapphires actually come in every color (though red sapphires are called rubies), but the most prized color is the deep blue that the color sapphire gets it's name from. In the past sapphires were thought to protect against poison, and when given as gifts, represented sincerity and faithfulness. Deep and mysterious, this stone is the perfect fit to those born in September! :) Happy Birthday to all of you born this month! :)

Original Tree Painting - Twilight Evening by BestArtStudios2	Electric Blue Crab Lollipops - Set of Three by VintageConfections
Hand Embroidered Wall art Cobalt and Copper by HAREandDRUM	Two Rice or Noodles Bowls with Chopsticks by dbabcock
Sapphire Color Midnight Blue Czech Glass & Sterling Silver Earrings by PoleStar	Real Sapphire Blue Rhetus Periander Butterfly by REALBUTTERFLYGIFTS

Make sure you check out my full sized treasury, for more sapphire goodies! Have a beautiful day! :)

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-09-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

...Halloween! :) I actually had to turn the heat on yesterday morning! And the trees in our neighbor hood are just barely starting to change color. Can't be that much longer! :) My kids are all excited. They sort of remember last Halloween, but I think they mostly just remember that they got candy. I don't think they remember the dressing up part at all. That reminds me, I have to figure out costumes for them! :o Hmm...I'm glad I posted this. Now I have another thing to add to my to do list!

Anyway, today's mini treasury theme is Holidays Across Etsy. I was going to do like I did with Housewares, and do one holiday for each item, but there were enough subcategories to do that without doubling up, and I couldn't figure out a good color scheme to work with all the different holidays. So, instead, I ended up picking one holiday to work with. Well technically two holidays. Since it's so close to October, I went with Day of the Dead and Halloween. I found some really cool stuff too! :) Enjoy!

Haunted House Halloween Tags by mamacateyes	Handmade Embroidered Pillow Cover by moonspiritstudios
Lunar Green - 10x10 Acrylic Landscape Painting by Blakeswork	Sugar Skull Quilt, Purple and Green by BadBabyQuilts
Glow in The Dark This and That Spinning Wool by merlinthecat	Chartreuse Modern Paper Star Ornament by kissadesign

And here is the equally spooky full sized treasury! :o Oh and I almost forgot! I've been playing with my blog some more. If you look at the top of the page, I've added some new pages. :) I now have About Me, My Family, and Cool Links pages. I'll be adding a couple more and I'll be adding more content to the ones I already have. Let me know what you think!

Okay, back to work! Have a cool day! :)

If it's not one thing...

2010-09-15T17:04:00.001-04:00

...it's 15 things. Now my house phone has decided it no longer wants to work. Sigh. So I spent all day on the phone today trying to get my phone working. That sounds weird doesn't it? :) Anyway, since I was busy doing that, I didn't get a chance to finish the treasury for today, but I promise it will done for tomorrow. :) I did get a bunch of pictures downloaded from my family's recent trip to Grounds for Sculpture. :) I posted about it once before, but if you live in or near New Jersey, you HAVE to go at least once! It's basically an outdoor art museum set inside a huge garden. I'll upload the pictures to Flickr when I'm done here. But here's my favorite.

The lotus pond was in full bloom! I had no idea they got that big! If I could have stood on the water, they would have been taller then me! So beautiful. :)

Okay time to get ready for dinner! Have a great day! :)

Just a quick post today.

2010-09-14T11:16:00.001-04:00

My youngest is sick again. This time he has croup. I swear there has not been a month this year where all of us were healthy at the same time! At least it's nice out today. I'm gonna open up all the windows and air out the house a bit. I'm hoping for a nice breezy afternoon. :)

In other news my cousin Amber, formally thewanderingknitter, has just opened up a new shop and filled it with knitted goodness. Here new shop is called threadbareknitter and it is chock full of cute kitties, scarves, and knit bags. This is my current favorite kitten she has for sale:

Mia the Orphaned Kitten

Okay, that's it for the moment. Tomorrow, more from my treasury series: Across Etsy. Its theme will be Holidays! :) Have a great day! :)

Brrr!

2010-09-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

It's suddenly cold in the mornings! It's as if the summer is ending or something. :) Fall weather always takes me by surprise. It's not that I don't like the cooler weather; in truth I like the cool fall weather better then the hot summer weather. But for some reason, I never expect it to come back. It's like summer erases the entire concept of cool weather from my memory, every year! :) But, anyway, now that's it's getting close to fall I decided to revamp my blog a little bit. What do you think? I actually changed it to a theme where I can easily change the background and the colors to suit the season, where as before I was stuck with what I had. I like it, though I'm still surprised every time I open the page. :) It takes me a while to get used to change, but I hope you all like it. :)

Oddly enough (and totally by accident), today's mini treasury perfectly matches my new blog look. :) The theme for today was Housewares Across Etsy. This was a tricky one to do, since Housewares is such a broad category. Housewares actually has 25 subcategories, so I decided I would take each item in the treasury from a different subcategory. This made the process of finding items slightly longer, as I had to keep track of which Housewares category I used, and which Etsy category I found it in. If that sounds confusing to you, believe me, it was confusing to me as well! :) So, now I present, without any further interruption, Housewares Across Etsy! Enjoy! :)

Pocket Watch Embroidered Wall Hanging by Moxiedoll	Original Hand Painted Art Rug by RueDesign
Golden Sky Magnets - Set of Seven by jenniferaboston	Alfred Hitchcock Silhouette Pillow by regansbrain
Honey Bear Soaps - 6 Soap Gift Box by catherinefilippelli	Hand Painted Glass Plate by CreationsdeFlorence

And if you liked the mini treasury, make sure you check out the big treasury too! Have a great day! :)

September 11 - Patriot Day 2010

2010-09-11T10:10:00.002-04:00

It's been nine years since the attacks on America where 2,993 people were killed by terrorists in three states. That morning I had off from work and was sleeping in, when my mom ran in and said that one of the Twin Towers had fallen down. We live in New Jersey and I had driven past the towers via the New Jersey Turnpike many, many times in my life. I ran down stairs to see what she was talking about, and saw that both towers had fallen, and that it was two planes that had knocked them down. On purpose. We sat and watched for an hour or so. It was numbing. I ended up driving into work to help one of the day shift people close the store, because they had never done it before, and no one wanted to be at work that day. I remember it was the most beautiful September day I could ever remember. The sky was clear blue and seemed to go on forever. After I had closed the store, I stopped and picked up some ribbon at the craft store on the way home. I went back, sat with my family, and made up some red, white, blue, and black ribbon pins to give out at the store the next day. It was all I could think to do. It was a way to feel I was helping.

There is no way to bring all of those people back, or to ever feel as safe as we did before the planes hit. But as I sat with my family over the next couple of days, then weeks, then months, watching all the tributes and people helping people in the wake of such tragedy, I knew that we as a country would survive. And not just that we would survive, but that we would heal. So here is my tribute to that fateful day, to honor those that fell as best I can on my little craft blog in a small corner of the internet. Peace and hope be with you all, and never forget.

Twin Trade Towers in the Mist by JohnHarmonGallery	NYPD Blue Pottery Mug by Misspottery
World Trade Center Map Pendant by ChellasCollection	World Trade Center Cross Beam by EyeShutterToThink
World Trade Center - Foggy Morning by artnuvi	Raku Fire Helmet 9/11 by PinetPottery

These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

Yum! Chocolate!

2010-09-10T10:48:00.001-04:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I am currently on Weight Watchers. I am doing this for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because I want to be more healthy. It's hard to keep up with three kids when you're overweight. The second reason is I recently tried on some of my fall/winter clothes, and they don't fit. That's bad. So I'm hoping to lose at least enough weight by the time it gets cold, so that I don't have to buy a new wardrobe this fall.

Anyway, the reason I'm mentioning this is last night we had an impromptu birthday party for one of our friends. This party involved chocolate fudge cake. Yummy, dark chocolate frosting and moist insides, chocolate fudge cake. Normally, if I knew I was going to a party, I would eat a little bit more carefully leading up to it, so I could indulge without hating myself later. Since this was very last minute, I didn't really get a chance to do that. "But," I thought to myself, "How bad could one little slice of chocolate cake really be?" Well the answer is much worse then I thought! Apparently one slice of chocolate fudge cake is equal to more then half of the food I'm supposed to eat per day! Oops. :) It was worth it though! :)

This brings me to today's mini treasury. Today's theme is Jewelry Across Etsy. So like I normally do, I put the category name into the search bar, then went down to the bottom category to see what was there. The first thing I saw, was a chocolate necklace! Not a chocolate colored necklace, but a necklace MADE out of chocolate! I have a theory about this. I think chocolate is stalking me. Luckily, you can't gain weight from just looking at chocolate (I think). So if you are dieting, don't worry, this selection of chocolate colored jewelry is 100% calorie free! Except for the chocolate necklace. ;) Enjoy! :)

Chocolate and Gold Wire Necklace by wmahr	Little Mahogany Book Necklace by bibliographica
Chocolate Cake Sterling & Wood Ring by jewelstreet	Natural Perfume for Antique Locket by IlluminatedPerfume
Ceramic Chocolate Buddha Pendant by WickedClayGirl	Copper Chocolate Glass Pearl Bracelet by tinymishaps

If you're sill craving more chocolate covered jewelry, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches the mini treasury. Have a sweet day! :)

I almost forgot!

2010-09-09T11:54:00.002-04:00

Another cool thing that happened today! Wattlebird was nice enough to feature my Harry Potter ornaments on her blog! Make sure you take a moment and check it out! She has a whole bunch of awesome, geeky (and non geeky) stuff posted! Enjoy! :)

Good Morning Everyone!

2010-09-09T09:25:00.002-04:00

And it has been a good morning so far! I just found out that my last treasury Music Across Etsy made the front page last night! And two of the items in the treasury sold because of it! Yay! :D

Plus I found a dollar under my chair this morning! I'm rich! ;) But seriously, I woke up this morning and was actually cold in my house! Fall is finally upon us, and I am more then glad to say good bye to all the hot summer weather this year. Some nice cool fall days are just what my soul needs right now. :)

I posted some more vintage and will be posting even more today. I'm also going to finish up the last ornament from the millions of ones I made up while the kids were sick. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post for tomorrow. But for right now, please enjoy today's mini treasury, who's theme is Knitting Across Etsy!

Soaplet Knit Soap Cozy - Clay by EfiaFair	Hand Dyed Silk Knitting Yarn by SunnysideEllen
Keep Calm and Cast On Card by tillyflopdesigns	Stoneware Yarn Ball Yarn Keeper by phannie
Hand Knit Pink Dress for Blythe by SSmartRaggs	Ollie the Giant Octopus by YarnMenagerie

And of course here is the link to the big treasury. Here's hoping it makes the front page as well! ;) Have a great day! :)

I'm back!

2010-09-07T10:52:00.001-04:00

All the kids are well, the weather is turning cool, my shop is stocked to the brim, I am so ready for the holiday rush! :) Even though I didn't get to go to the craft show, I did have a bunch of sales this weekend. And it was a good thing I stayed home, because my youngest was miserable all day. While I'm sure my husband could have handled it, I'm sure he was glad I was there to help. :)

In non craft/kid related news, I have recently come into possession of a boat load of vintage pieces that I'm going to be posting on Etsy! :) There's some pottery, matchbooks, glassware, pin backs, jewelry, more cameras, even some vintage coats and bathing suits! It should keep me busy for the next couple of weeks. ;)

I'm also back to making my treasury series: Across Etsy. The idea behind the series is I take the name of a category and use it as a search term. Then I go through all the other categories and find cool pieces using that search term. Today's theme is music! Enjoy! :)

Mix Tape Pouch - Brown by BraveMoonman	The Double Note Stained Glass by glassgallerygirls
Vintage Sheet Music Rose by TheCrimsonPoppy	Sterling Silver Music Note Ring by CatherineMarissa
10 Recycled Record Player Cards by TwoPoodlePress	Piano Music Lovers Soap Favor by twoeggplants

And here is the big treasury that matches it! Hope you all have a beautiful day! :)

Better luck next time. :(

2010-09-04T10:03:00.001-04:00

So I didn't end up going to the craft show, because all three of my kids have been sick for the last three days with 104 degree fevers. They are actually doing a little better today, but I haven't gotten any sleep or any work for the show done since Wednesday. Luckily I still have another craft show right in town in November, so even if everyone is sick again, I can at least get someone to sit with my stuff if nothing else. Just wanted to let you all know, in case some of you went and were looking for me. :( On the up side I did get a LOT of sewing done since they all got sick, as I've basically been sitting watching TV with them all week. And since my husband is home today and they are starting to recover, I will probably be able to get some of my new pieces posted today and tomorrow. So, anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend! Stay safe and enjoy the last weekend of summer! :)

Not going to post a lot this week...

2010-08-30T08:36:00.003-04:00

...but I promise I will be back after the craft show, that happens to be THIS SATURDAY AAAAAAHHH! :O Kidding! :) I'm not quite panicking yet. I probably should be as I have yet to even do a mock up of the tables, but I guess I'm still in the denial stage of this craft show. ;)

Anyway, today's mini treasury's theme is one of my favorites! Its theme is Needlecraft! Obviously I'm slightly biased, as am I a sewer, but I still think it's a really cool category. I thought this might be a difficult treasury to make, since I figured most of the needlecraft pieces would be in the needlecraft category, but boy was I wrong! There are so many talented needlecraft artists in all of the categories it was actually hard to choose which pieces to use, rather then it being hard to find items to use at all. :) And without further a due, here is today's mini treasury! Enjoy!

DIY Embroidery Card Kit by curiousdoodles	Embroidered Felt Clovers Pincushion by SeaPinks
Mossy Green Felted Wool Acorns by greenbaboondesigns	Custom Scrabble Tile Bag by samann1121
Red Flowers Handmade Appliques by BizimSupplies	Avocado Needle Felted Wool Pin by pammydawn

And of course with that many awesome artists, I had to make a big treasury to go with it! You can check it out here! :)

Oh and I'm reposting the coupon for the Craft Fair in Ocean Grove, NJ this weekend. In case you missed it!

You can check out more info on the craft show in my last post here. Wish me luck! I'll probably post one more time before the show, but if not I'll see you all next week! :)

Busy Week!

2010-08-26T10:16:00.002-04:00

So this week has turned out much more hectic then I thought it would be. Monday was great! My husband stayed home and we went out to lunch without the kids, then had his parents over for dinner. :) That evening was when it started to get slightly crazy. Apparently something my husband ate did NOT agree with him and he ended up sick the rest of the night. So he stayed home on Tuesday as well! Which I don't mind generally speaking, but he kind of interrupted my "Monday". Monday is usually one of my busiest days, because I'm packing orders, answering mail, and cleaning the house from the weekend. With him home, for some reason, it becomes more difficult to get things done on time. :) Luckily by Tuesday night he was feeling fine again, so he went back to work on Wednesday.

Wednesday I got a lot done including posting a bunch of vintage pieces & getting some descriptions written up. And today looks good for pictures (finally) so hopefully I'll get a bunch of stuff posted today and tomorrow as well! I also finished to new ornaments, a mask and a sun! They came out cute!

Also, there is only a week and a half left before the craft fair! And I'm not ready. :( I have a bunch of little stuff to make up, plus I just realized that all my table decorations are packed and in my attic! But I'm not panicking yet! That can wait till next week. :)

Anyway (long post today), in and amongst all of the stuff going on this week, I did get another mini treasury made up! :) This one is based on the Paper Goods category. I like the way the colors turned out on this one, and I hope you do to! Enjoy! :)

Eight Crane Origami Mobile by roundhousedesigns	Blue Recycled Magazines Tree Shadowbox colorstorydesigns
Alice and the White Rabbit Hand-Cut Shadow Puppets by IsabellasArt	Turquoise Cherry Blossoms Hand Painted Paper Parasol by ARTintersect
Blue Journal with Floral Spine by AnnReneeLighter	3D Paper Airplane Mug by DirtyDishesPottery

And of course, here's the link to the big treasury. :)

Since the craft show is sneaking up on me quickly, I guess I should give you guys some more information on it, in case you live in the area and would like to come and see my stuff in person. :)

The craft show is on September 4, in Ocean Grove, NJ right on the beach! :)

Screen Shot of Map from Google (click to enlarge)

Close up Map of my Booth Location (click to enlarge)

If you are able to attend, I've even got a coupon for you! One per person please! :)

Just print this out, and bring it with you to the show. And if you forget it, that's okay too. Just mention you saw the coupon on my blog. :) There were a lot of people last year, and hopefully the weather will be nice and there will be plenty of people there again this year! Hope to see you there! :)

Okay that's enough fooling around for today. Time to get back to work! ;) Have a great day! :)

Ah Monday!

2010-08-23T10:14:00.002-04:00

How I love thee! :D No don't worry, it's really me and I'm perfectly fine! I'm actually happy today is Monday, because my lovely husband has taken the day off and we our going out to lunch WITHOUT the kids!!! Haven't done that in a LONG time. :) So not only does this week not have a "Monday", I also get yummy food, AND a kid free afternoon! Who could ask for anything more? :) Oh, you want me to do another mini treasury too? Okay, since I'm in a really good mood, here is today's mini treasury!

This one was actually a little tricky, because it was based on the Patterns category. What I ended up doing was using two different types of items. Half of the pieces were made using upcycled sewing patterns and the other half of the pieces are patterns or tutorials. I think it turned out really cute! I hope you like it!

Back to School Nostalgic Journal by VintageScraps	Jacobean Flower Wool Work Pattern by ThreeSheepStudio
DIY Felt Lovely Cookies Pattern by fairyfox	Sewing Pattern Tea Lights Holders by CarolinaCottage
Vintage Sewing Pattern Bracelet by foundandmade	Vintage Uncut 1940s ewing Pattern by ZipZapKap

And if you think that the mini treasury has neat stuff in it, you should check out the big treasury that matches it! :)

Busy, busy!

2010-08-21T12:58:00.001-04:00

Today my husband decided it would be a good idea to hang our TV up on the wall. I agree with the plan in general, but I am NOT looking forward to the mess and noise this is going to create. :) I think he's just doing it cause now he gets to knock holes in the wall and play with power tools. ;) Anyway, as I am busy herding children away from the construction zone today, I didn't get a chance to make a mini post for today's treasury. But, I did finish the big one. :) So here you go!

- Pets Across Etsy -

Have a great day! :)

So hungry...

2010-08-20T11:17:00.003-04:00

I should not work on food related blog posts right before lunch! Now I have a major case of the munchies! And even though none of this food is actually edible, I'm sure after looking at today's treasury, you will too! Today is the latest treasury in my Across Etsy series. It features the edible half of the Plants and Edibles category. Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Cake - 4x6 Photograph by ValeriaH	Strawberry Jam Toast Goats Milk Soap by soapopotamus
Smoked Salmon Volauvent Felt Food by britishcreamtea	Scrumptious Sandwich Cookie Necklace by glamasaurus
Soft Boiled Egg Fake Food by FakeFoodDecor	Lettuce Relax - Crochet Veggie Toy by AlethaFaye

Now that you're good and hungry, make sure you check out the big treasury for dessert! ;) Have a great day!

I'm loosing my marbles...

2010-08-18T11:36:00.001-04:00

Okay that's not exactly accurate, I'm selling my marbles. Is that better? I'm not sure. :) But seriously I got a WHOLE bunch of vintage stuff posted this week, including a bunch of really cool vintage marbles! You can check them out in my Vintage Marbles section of my shop if you like. :) I also posted some vintage tea cups and nutcrackers in my main Vintage Collectibles section. But mostly I've been tweaking my shop and catching up on Etsy news. If you haven't been to Etsy for a while you should check it out, all the shops now have a new wide format! You can see mine here! :)

And of course the other thing I've been up to is my treasury making. :) Today's mini treasury is based on half of the Plants & Edibles category. I figured since they are two different things I'd give them two different treasuries. Enjoy! :)

Grassy Blades of Beeswax Pot Candle by kokocandles	Green Leaves Silver Wire Earrings by KUKLAstudio
Topiaries Watercolor No. 2 Print by mossylanestudio	Last Leaf Handspun 2-ply Yarn by travelingrhinos
24 Edible Sugar Leaves by andiespecialtysweets	Tall Grass King Sized Pillow by pillowhappy

You can check out the big treasury that matches it here! Have a great day! :)

So much to do...

2010-08-16T10:33:00.004-04:00

...so little time to do it. I am so not ready for this craft show next month! I need to get my butt in gear and make some magnets and pincushions, or my table is going to be empty! I did get a lot of stuff done this weekend, but I still have a lot to do this week. I have a whole bunch of vintage stuff to post, including some medium format cameras and lenses, and I have a bunch of half finished projects to finish, on top of cleaning and chasing my crazy kids around! :) Everybody wish me luck! This promises to be a crazy week! :)

Anyways, today's mini treasury is inspired by quilts all over Etsy. My mom collects quilts. She has a million of them! So it was interesting to me to find quilts on Etsy that weren't really quilts. :) Enjoy!

Quilted Ceramic Coffee Pot by Mullox	Hand Dyed Quilted Bookmark by rubymountaindyeworks
Nine Square - Watercolor Painting by Niceharpy	Link Quilted Pillow Cover - Blue by raindrops23
Charlie Baby Quilt by kunklebaby	Large Walnut Lazy Susan by woodmosaics

Make sure you also check out the big treasury here. Have a great day! :)

It's Bacon!

2010-08-12T10:20:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm taking a break from my treasury series, to show you what I've been doing lately. :) I've created a couple new ornaments in the last couple weeks. The first couple are old ideas that have have recreated as ornaments. Long, LONG ago, I made a felt advent calender from scratch. It took me two years on and off to finish it.

So I thought this year it might be fun to remake some of the little advent ornaments into full sized ornaments! :) The first one I did was the easiest:

Red Felt Heart Christmas Ornament

I'm thinking of make up a pink one and making a listing for a pick your own color heart listing. We'll see. :) Then I moved on to a slightly more complex one (and my favorite from the calender):

Snow Globe with Red House Felt Christmas Ornament

This was a fun piece to do, though for some reason, I had a heck of a time with the base! I just couldn't decide how I wanted it to look. But I think it came out really cute! :)

Then I made up a couple new pieces. I while back I had bought some yummy colored felt from TheDailyPincushion. I used some of it to make my sushi pincushions and ornaments, but the rest got lost in the shuffle when we moved. While the kids were sick, one of the things I did was organize my workspace a bit better, and in the process I found all my cool colored felt! So I decided to put it to good use and make this:

Strawberry Hand Sewn Felt Christmas Ornament

Isn't that strawberry felt delicious? :) I must have been in a food mood, because the other piece I made with the new felt was: bacon!

Felt Bacon Breakfast Hand Sewn Ornament

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure why I made felt bacon either, but it turned out really cute! And on that note, I've made up a little bit of bacon heaven, for your enjoyment! Please don't eat the pictures!

Candied Chipotle Bacon by HashDelectableEdible	The Big Breakfast Felt Pin by pippindesigns
Felt Bacon Breakfast Hand Sewn Ornament by Autumn2May	Bacon - Use Your Words Framed Embroidery Wall Art by DearNight
Mini Side Dish of Breakfast Bacon by EverydayGourmet	Bacon - Print of Original Oil Painting by mgenomgeno

Oh and here is the link to the full sized bacon treasury! I hope you're hungry!

That's it for now. Have a yummy day! :D

Alright, you've fooled around long enough!

2010-08-11T14:17:00.001-04:00

Time to get back to blogging! :) I've been playing with treasuries for the last couple days. I should also be blogging, but I was having too much fun! :) Anyway as you know from my last post, I'm doing a series using Etsy's categories as search terms. Here's the ones I've done so far:

- Woodworking Across Etsy -

- Weddings Across Etsy -

- Vintage Inspired Across Etsy -

- Toys Across Etsy -

And my latest treasury:

- Handmade Supplies Across Etsy -

Okay now to get some actual work done. :) Have a great day!

Okay I admit it...

2010-08-08T13:46:00.001-04:00

...I've run out of ideas for blog posts. Well, that was until I was thinking about how I normally make up a post after I have a theme in mind. :) Normally what I do when I make up a blog post, is take the theme of the day, like peridot, and I go to Etsy and put the theme into the search on the main page. Then I start at the bottom category on the list and see if there is anything that would match my theme in each category. This way, I get a good mix of types of items, instead of getting a lot of the same thing.

So I decided that it might be fun to use each category's title as the main word in a search and then check out all the other categories and see what I come up with. :) So far it's been a lot of fun! :) I started with the bottom category on the main page, and I'm working my way up. The categories on the Etsy homepage are in alphabetical order, so the first one I did was Woodworking. And if you have been reading my blog you'll notice that my Woodworking treasury made it to the Front Page! :D

Today I made up the second treasury in the series. Its them is Weddings! Enjoy! :)

2 Hand Engraved Wine Glasses by daydreemdesigns	Dollhouse Mini Meringue Tower by miniaturepatisserie
White Rose Photograph by chickenandcustard	Sterling Silver Guitar Pick by jcjewelrydesign
Gown and Tuxedo Heart Cookies by LindasEdibleArt	Large Dogwood Ceramic Cake Stand by whitneysmith

You can see the full sized treasury here! Have a great day! :)

Yay!

2010-08-06T18:59:00.000-04:00

My latest treasury made it to the front page! :D

Woodworking Across Etsy

I'm so excited! I was going to post about the treasury series I started, tomorrow, but I guess I'll post a sneak peak today! :D

The Month of the Peridot

2010-08-05T12:35:00.004-04:00

This month's birthstone is peridot. Peridot is unusual in the gem world because it really only comes in one color: olive green. However that color does vary based on how much iron is in the stone, and it can range from yellow-green to brownish green. Peridot is associated with dignity and success, and because of its green color has also been linked to nature in many ancient cultures. In olden times miners would search for the stone at night, believing that the light of the moon made it easier to find. A unique stone perfect for people born in this unique month! Happy birthday to all of you born in August! :)

Vintage 1940s Van Dell Peridot Brooch by laurenrosedesign	Chartreuse Chandeliers Letterpress Coasters by missive
Bright Green Aloe Patterns 8x10 Print by amefaust	Herb the Garden Bunny Faux Fur Plushie by Zygopsyche
Key Lime Cathedral Window Pillow Cover by warmnfuzzies	Cinnamon Pine Shea Butter Soap by BLSoaps

You can also check out the full sized Etsy treasury here! Have a great day! :)

Angry Sky

2010-08-02T09:04:00.000-04:00

There was a big storm that blew through here this weekend. I dislike thunderstorms, a lot. But I do appericate that even big scary things can be beautiful, so I made a treasury with a thunderstorm theme. :)

Angry Sky

I got a lot of sewing done this weekend! I'll be posting about that later today, once I get the pictures done. See you then! :)

If I had the time...

2010-07-29T08:30:00.005-04:00

...(and no kids) what would I do? Here is my top eight!

1. Sleep in! At least once a week.
2. Go out to dinner with just my husband and not have to worry about rushing back!
3. Listen to music somewhere calm and relaxing, without having to pause it every three seconds to break up a fight.
4. Soak in the pool ALL day!
5. Go for a nice quiet walk in the woods.
6. Take a LONG relaxing bath, without people banging on the door every two minutes!
7. Eat a whole bag of cookies, without sharing!
8. Watch a movie, during the day, that isn't rated G!

I think I might be getting cabin fever, what do you think? ;) Being stuck in the house for going on two weeks with sick kids is NO FUN AT ALL! But they are too cute to give away, and I have too much money invested in them to get a good price, so I guess I'll have to keep them. ;) Today's mini treasury is part of a bigger treasury based on my top 8 Things To Do If I Had Time list. :)

Green Knitted Alarm Clock by manafka	Sleeping Innocence - Print by diig
1 lb. Bag of Ginger Snap Cookies by ImperialCookies	30 Oreo Clock Lollipops by friendlycreationss
Rosey Posey Nursery Girl Clock by ShugabeeLane	Organic Bath Salt - Lavender by anthologyorganic

Have a relaxing day! :)

Oh, and check out the full treasury here!

Well this is new...

2010-07-28T09:53:00.001-04:00

So we are all officially over the stomach bug! YAY! However, now my husband and two of the kids have ear infections instead. ::sigh:: This has not been a good summer health wise. Aren't all the sickness suppose to strike in the winter when we have to be stuck in the house anyways? Needless to say, I've been a little busy lately, still. I got this post done up yesterday during a brief period where everyone was sleeping! I guess that is one nice thing about everyone being sick, they sleep more. :) So building on the theme of being sick, today's mini treasury features some Etsy get well soon medicine. Enjoy! :)

Feel Good Pill Bottle in Red by LoucheLab	Candy Medicine Bottle Cap Necklace by PhotoLindsey
Doctor Doctor - 8x10 Photo by Dongedyframe	Plush Get Well Pill in Bottle by mypapercrane
Blue Hardback Book with Lyrics by BooksByStephen	3oz. Happy Pill Soap by LoveLeeSoaps

Have a healthy day! :)

Yes we have no Bananas!

2010-07-23T09:21:00.001-04:00

We have no bananas today! Because we have run out, yet again. Kids are still sick, but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's either that or an oncoming train, we'll have to wait and see. :) In the little computer time I had yesterday, I managed to at least get a treasury put together.

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

In non-silly news, I stayed up WAY to late last night, enjoying the quite that really only exists in this house when everyone is asleep. :) But it turned out that I picked an excellent night to be up late, because my starfish was featured on the front page! :D

Sailing by jennyndesign

This is the first time one of my items has ever made the front page! :D I was so excited! :D I had my first treasury that I made, make the front page this month too! July has been a pretty good month, except for the kids being sick. :) Anyway, I have some Etsy posting to work on today, if the kids will let me. Have a great day! :)

B.R.A.T.

2010-07-22T10:27:00.003-04:00

...is pretty much all we've been eating around here for a week now. If you don't know already, it stands for Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce, and Toast, and it's basically what you eat with you have intestinal issues. So far we've gone through 2 bunches of bananas, 4 bags of boil-a-bag rice, a jar and a half of apple sauce, and a whole loaf of bread. Having three sick kids is no fun at all. :P On the upside, this week I've had more rice then I've had in a long time. :) I love rice, especially sticky rice! My husband got me a rice cooker one year for my birthday, and we used to use it at least twice a week. But when we moved it got lost in the shuffle and we kind of forgot it existed. I still have a lot of kitchen stuff that's packed, because this house is smaller then our last one, but my new mission once the kids are feeling better is to find the rice cooker! After have boil-a-bag rice for a week straight, I am so ready to go back to the good stuff! So today's theme is one of my favorite side dishes ever: white rice! :) Enjoy!

Rice Patterned Ring Dishes by baileybowls	Pouch with Navy Blue Rice Bowl by EmiShimosato
Organic Thai Jasmine Rice Blend by ZenNubian7	Rice Pearl Bracelet by ChocolateKate
Rice Flower and Shea Soap by LusciousLather	Chinese Rice Bowl ACEO Giclee Print by artiparti

Have a yummy day! :)

Oy!

2010-07-21T09:39:00.002-04:00

I guess I should have taken this week off instead of last week! All three kids are currently cycling through a stomach virus: 1 down, 1 currently sick, 1 to go. I'm HOPING beyond hope, that my husband and I don't get it too! Anyway, I was able to post a new piece I finished Monday. It's a sugar plum, and it's the first fully beaded piece I've ever done. It came out cute! :) It wasn't has hard to the beading as I thought it was going to be. If this piece sells I may do another plum and maybe a couple other beaded pieces. :) Anyway, since I didn't have a lot of time to come up with another theme, today is officially sugar plum day on my blog! Enjoy!

Plumin' Around In Silver Painting by JNociforaStudio	Plum Blossoms Photograph by enamour
Veronica Hand Knit Sweater in Sugar Plum by whiletheyplay	Absolutely Yummy Apple Plum Butter by Pinkflamingo66
Sugar Plum Beaded Christmas Ornament by Autumn2May	Hip Pocket Bag in Plum with Blossom by jennyndesign

Oh and I also did a treasury to go with today's post. You can check it out here. Have a sweet day, and try to stay healthy! :)

I'm back! :)

2010-07-18T11:13:00.004-04:00

It was nice to take some time off from the blog. And while I didn't get much done sewing wise, I did get a lot of done around my house that I have been meaning to do, and I organized my craft area some. :) It has been wicked hot around here lately, however, I have still not made it to the beach yet, so I kind of have the beach on mind today. So for my first post back, I present a mini treasury (and a big treasury) based on one of my favorite quotes:

Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised. ~ Song of Solomon 8:7

Ocean Whimsy Photography Print by memoir	Many Waters Inscribed Silver Necklace by tracyhibsman
Moon Over Stormy Waters Beaded Cuff by windyriver	The Light at The End of The Tunnel by ChiliThom
Panoramic Crashing Waves Oil Painting by LeahFranklin	Large Pitcher in Blue Wave Glaze by carolbroadleypottery

Have a beautiful day! :)

Hmm...

2010-07-12T08:55:00.001-04:00

So it occurred to me over the weekend that I have less then two months till the craft show I'm attending in September, and I am no where near ready for it! So starting today I am going to be taking a "blog break" to get caught up. I'll still post here and there, but I'm not going to be doing any treasuries for a bit. As fun as they are, they are cutting into my creative time quite a bit. :) Not that I spend too much time on Etsy or anything, but I could cut back just a little bit. ;)

And in case you are interested, the craft show I'm doing with my cousin Amber (thewanderingknitter), is the Ocean Grove Giant Craft Show on September 4th. I'll post more info about it as it gets closer.

Oh and before I go, I made this treasury up over the weekend, but never posted it. (You didn't think I'd leave without posting one last treasury did you?) Enjoy!

* Make a Wish! *

Have a great rest of the week! :)

Hello!

2010-07-10T11:31:00.004-04:00

Today is supposed to be my day off, but I had a great idea for a treasury when I was working in my destash shop today! :) It a treasury of all different kinds of buttons! Some are handmade, some are vintage, and some are commercial supplies! I thought it turned out really cute! Check it out!

Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?

I think I've just inspired myself to do some sewing! Have a great weekend! :)

Dew Drops

2010-07-09T09:16:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a very foggy, misty morning. It was nice having some hot, dry days, but to me it has to be humid to feel like summer. :) Not that I particularly enjoy the humidity, it's just after living in New Jersey for so long, it's just become a part of summer for me. Besides when it's really humid, the dew in the morning is epic! Some days it looks like the lawn is covered in tiny gems! One of these mornings, when I'm not mostly asleep, I need to get out before the dew dissipates and get some pics! Until then, enjoy these Etsy dew drops in today's mini treasury!

Dew 12" X 9" Original Oil Painting by booboostudio	Morning Dew Floral Spider Web Mobile by TivoliDesign
Handmade Morning Dew Necklace by mycellardoor	Aquamarine Dew Drops - ACEO by Squier
Spider Web and Dew Photographic Print by kmaphoto	Dew Drop Grass Summer in Vermont Print by bluedreamsunshine

I also made a big treasury to go with today's post. You can check it out here. Have a beautiful day! :)

Pool Weather

2010-07-08T08:48:00.003-04:00

There is nothing better in life then floating in a cool pool on a hot day! I'm sure I've said this before, but I would live in a pool if I could! Anyway since the last week has been so warm (even at night), my mom's pool has been in the 80s, and I've been over there every night! :) So I thought today I would do a pool themed mini treasury! Enjoy!

The Plunge No.3 - Giclee on Stretched Canvas by gracegallery	Vintage Printers Block - Swimming Hole by TurnersCollectibles
Ceramic Wedding Cake Topper - Love Birds by orlydesign	Extra Long Silver Necklace with Lampwork Beads by Ulixis
Cerulean Sparkle Hand Dyed Merino Sock Yarn by portfiber	Cruise Blue Crest Mesh Tote by JaynaUmeda

Oh and I also did a big treasury to go along with this one! You can check it out here. Have a cool day!

Epic Weekend!

2010-07-06T09:57:00.001-04:00

This was one of the best weekends in a long time! :) Friday night we took the kids to see fireworks. Saturday we relaxed all day, then my brothers and cousins came over and we hung out for a bit and played games. :)

Sunday which was the 4th of July was awesome! We hung out at home for the morning, and I worked on some treasuries. And...

One of them made it to the front page!!! :D I've never had anything make it to the front page before! Congrats to PamlicoBee, qacreate, asherjasper, EleganceFarm, ShoeBoxMemoriesDLuxe, queenartist, owlcreekceramics, QuiltsbyShirley, Mazizmuse, H20works, photodillon, and MySillyBear! And thanks to them and to SimpleJoysPaperie, greenbaboondesigns, CortneyLei, and ItzFitz for making this treasury special enough to get picked for the front page! :) I couldn't have gotten there without you! :)

I also made another Americana treasury on Sunday (I was having too much fun!).

~ America the Beautiful ~

I based this one on the song of the same name. Each picture and the item to its right, is part of a line from the first verse. It was fun to make. :) I like doing treasuries based on songs and poems. It makes it more interesting to find pieces that match them. :)

Anyway after we had hung out at the house for a bit, we went to my mom's to go swimming. It was the perfect night for it! The air was warm, the water was warm, and there was hardly any breeze. When we got home it was getting dark, and we noticed some of our neighbors were shooting off fireworks, so we stayed in the driveway and watched that for a bit. The next day we were going to a birthday party, so once the kids were asleep, my husband baked a pie.

And not just any pie, but the best pecan pie I've ever had! Oh man...it was soooo good! I have to get the recipe from him so I can post it. It really was to die for! :)

Monday was the party and I figured since it was a party, I should make some cupcakes. Nothing fancy, just something festive. :)

They turned out really cute, and they weren't that hard to make either! :) After the party we came home and my brother and cousins came over again to play some board games then we watched a movie. Overall it was an amazingly fun weekend! :) I hope you all had a great weekend as well. And since I got so much done this weekend, I also have a BBQ mini treasury for you! Enjoy!

Oven Barbecued Brisket Photo by cateomalley	Polymer Clay Hot Dog Earrings by roscata
Etched Pint Size Jelly Jar Barware by EastMesaDesign	Organic Sugarbaby Watermelon Seeds by TheLittleRagamuffin
Polymer Clay Cheeseburger Charm by shayaaron	Summer BBQ Invite - Set of 8 by girlingearstudio

And, I also did a really treasury to go with it! You can check it out here!

Hope you all had a great weekend and I hope you all have a great rest of the week! Bye for now! :)

Boom! Boom! Boom! Ooooo! Aaaaa!

2010-07-04T09:32:00.003-04:00

We saw fireworks Friday night! :D I love fireworks! It was so much fun! We sat far enough away that it wasn't loud enough to scare the kids, and they LOVED it! But, why do we have fireworks on the 4th of July? Sure, it's a holiday and a celebration, but we don't shoot off fireworks at Christmas, or Halloween, so why do we do it on the 4th of July? I'm sure you all know that July 4 is America's Independence Day. But, it wasn't the day we won the Revolutionary War or the day the war was started, it was the day 56 delegates of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. It was the day that Britain’s 13 American colonies became the United States of America!

Now really, when those men signed that paper, they were committing treason! And if we had lost the war, they probably would have been executed! But they believed so much in what they were doing that they were willing to put their lives on the line for freedom. Freedom from what though? Well freedom from British rule yes, but there is more to it then that. The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence really shows what they were willing to die for, and what we as a country have been willing to die for ever since:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In a word freedom! Not just freedom from Britain, but a new freedom, a freedom we would make our selves, which no person or government could ever take away from us! And while the creation of this country and its freedoms is definitely something deserving of fireworks, it still doesn't quite explain why they are such a symbol of the 4th of July.

I think the main reason for our country's use of fireworks for 4th of July celebrations is our national anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner.

The Star-Spangled Banner was written by the poet Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, which also happened to be with England. We at the time were a very new country and certainly not the super-power that England was. Nevertheless, we were still ready to fight for our freedom! The song that would become our national anthem was written during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the very middle of the war. He and John Stuart Skinner had gone to make arrangements for the release of some American prisoners, but after overhearing plans for that evening’s battle, they were forced to remain captive on a British ship until morning. You can imagine how they felt, by listening to the first and second verse of the song and imagining what it was like to be the heat of battle, captive, on an enemy ship.

When the sun went down the American flag was flying above the fort, but once the lights from the barrage of bombs had stopped, there was no way for them to know whether or not the British had succeeded in taking over the fort, till morning's first light shown on victor's flag flying from the battlements.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

In the dark, the explosions from the ships' cannon fire and the return fire from Fort McHenry would give just enough light to see which side had control over the fort.

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

But once the bombing stopped for the night, it would have been completely dark on the shore and impossible to see what was going on from their ship. Who had won? Who now controlled the fort? Did America's flag still fly? Or had the British flag replaced it?

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Then as the sun slowly rose, its light revealed the answer!

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Seeing the American flag waving in the morning sea breezes, it must have been amazing! They had held the fort; the battle was won!

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

That is why there are fireworks. They invoke the feelings that this country is built on. We fought for freedom and we won, not just once, but many times, through many years and many wars. And we will keep fighting for our freedom and the freedom of our children until the end of time if need be. And celebrating that freedom is something that totally deserves fireworks!

Happy 4th of July everyone! :)

The Month of the Ruby

2010-07-02T08:21:00.001-04:00

This month's birthstone is the ruby. Rubies can come in different colors from a brownish red to pink, but the most highly prized are the deep red (or pigeon blood-red) rubies. Since red is the color of love, rubies have long been associated with everlasting love and in ancient times rubies were also thought to have magical powers that brought good luck and good health. Rubies, because of their specific red coloring, were also used to make the first lasers! Love and lasers, what else could you ask for in a birthstone? So to all my friends and followers with birthdays in July, I dedicate this mini treasury to you! Happy Birthday! :)

Rubylicious Red Quartz Necklace by AThousandJoys	4" Ruby Red Sparkler Star Ornament by kissadesign
Ruby Red Vase with Lines and Dots by marymeestudio	A Love Like This Fine Art Print by photoatelier
5 Felted Wool Ruby Red Cherries by BumblecatSoapCo	Scarlet Blossoming Flower Coasters by rubypress

I have also recreated one of my favorite treasuries to go with this post. You can check it out here! Have a great day everyone! :)

Looooong Day Is Long...

2010-07-01T08:39:00.005-04:00

...so long in fact, that it lasted until early this morning! Okay, so the doctor's visit was about what I expected, all three got shots, all three cried, and all three were mad when they weren't aloud to take the toys from the waiting room home. But they all recovered pretty well after they got in the car with their lollipops. :)

The issue came after nap time. Apparently these specific shots sometimes make you feverish, sore, and REALLY cranky! My fault though, usually I give them a hit of Tylenol right before (or after) they get shots so the injection sites don't get swollen. And of course, for some reason, I didn't do that this time. The big guys weren't too bad at first, but the little one was miserable! Luckily once we gave him some pain meds, he went to sleep for the night and stayed there! Unfortunately one of his older brothers did not. He was up every two hours ALL night! Needless to say, I'm a wee bit sleepy this morning.

I did get a lot of time last night to think about random things, however. The theme that persisted the most was the idea of me (and maybe my husband if he's good) on my own tropical island, with no kids. :) Just the calm sound of waves on the shore, gentle ocean breezes, and nothing to do all day, but drink cool fruit beverages prepared by someone else! :) And my favorite island fruit flavor is definitely piña colada! I hope you are thirsty, cause that is today's theme! Enjoy! :)

YoYo Pineapple Delight Decorative Fruit by birose	Pina Colada Cupcakes by sweettoothfun
Pineapple Sherbet Mousse Silk Sock Yarn by CraftsMeow	Citrine & Pearls Pina Colada Necklace by carrieWdesigns
Realistic Pineapple Ring Soap Pair by daisycakessoap	Pina Colada Soy Candles in Coconut Shells by candlekitty

Have restful day! :)

An Apple a Day

2010-06-30T09:13:00.004-04:00

Well even if I do eat an apple today, I still have to face the inevitable: taking all three kids in for their check-ups! This should be fun and exciting. In the past I've usually taken the twins together, and the youngest by himself. I've never had the pleasure of taking them all at the same time. I'll let you all know if I survive. :) Anyway I thought today would be a good day to do a doctor themed mini treasury. Enjoy! :)

Be a Doctor PDF Pattern by GulfCoastCottagePDF	Wooden Doll Doctor Playset by theenchantedcupboard
Handmade Intarsia Doctor Bear by WoodenArtbyTom	Apple Cut Paper Wall Art by supercoolspyclub
Operation Board Game Spiral Notebook by ivylanedesigns	Grace the Nurse Ornament by TheHouseOfMouse

Have a healthy day! :)