Things to LOVE...

Looking for a CUTE and ADORABLE Valentine craft for your girls to bring in to class this year for their Valentine exchange? I LOVE these DIY Friendship Blossoms by Nicole Blasenak Shapiro on Disney's Family Fun Magazine. You could even substitute pretty tissue or craft paper for the petals to make them even more airy. This may be a fun project to try these the oldest...

Valentine, I'd Definitely Clean More If...

You got me this adorable little Sleeping Beauty inspired retro apron with white polka dots!! I'd clean the whole day away... at least once. Then I'd just walk around in it for show when I have to answer the door and look adorably Betty Sue Homemaker... Yes- I am the woman of the house... Oh yes- these are my lovely children... Yes- I have four children and still look this fabulous WHILE CLEANING!

Oooooh wait- Maybe you should get me this one instead... The Queen of Hearts- Yeah, that's Me!

Boo!!

This is just too adorable!! These are Skullsies from Etsy seller WeeNimble.

These are so perfect for Halloween dress-up!! Know anyone expecting this month- cause what a cute addition to a gift basket for a baby shower. This is so up my sis-in-law's alley- I just might have to get a couple of these lil' cuties.

Cute Stuff

Check out this adorable T-Rex GRASP and TEETHER TOY by seller littlesaplingtoys! They are described as being made from 'maple sanded satin smooth with no finish' and when you purchase one of these little cuties, a tree will be planted through Trees for the Future.

The hand grasp makes this easy for a child to hold onto and manipulate. I love this idea of getting away from the plastic chewy things to a more natural and greener form of toy for baby!

This would be the perfect addition to a shower gift- and perfect for my little chomper right now :^)

I Feel Special!

It's amazing how something so simple can make you feel so good! Look at these lovely marigolds my daughter brought home from nursery school for me today along with a rainbow heart picture formed from her little hand prints! This school does the best little keepsake gifts! She also brought sunflower seeds to plant, that should make a nice addition to our tomato and bean seeds that we already planted! I know, it's really a random mix, but the kids just love digging in the dirt. I think we're going to try to plant a garden this year... wish us luck! And since it's a rainy icky day, what better than to have the goyles do a card for all their Grannies today! Happy Mother's Day!

Somebody Likes Me - I got an Egg Plant for Easter!

I just received the cutest Easter gift from my friend. She gave me an Egg Plant by Cobra Co. that she found at Lowe's garden center. It is a lovely ceramic egg with a snapdragon plant waiting inside. You crack the top, just like a soft-boiled breakfast egg & it already contains both the soil and seeds. Just add water and place in a sunny location! This is a really cool gift idea for your Momsy, the kiddies, your Ma-maw, a good friend... Really, it's so ADORABLY neat-o I think just about anyone would be delighted to find this in their Easter basket!

My camera is sick right now with the fuzzies, but here's a great pic from three swingin' chicks:



Check out three swingin' chicks Egg Plant post for more fun stuff about Egg Plants including a recipe using real eggplants!

DIY "Trashy" Valentines from Curbly...

Here's a really cute idea that I found on Curbly by swelldesigner. Make your own 'trashy' valentines by using your junk mail... looks like a fun way of recycling all that annoying junk mail!

If you like this kind of fun/funky art, also check out the shadowboxes by Baltimore Artstar. I really love stuff like this!

So Many Little Things...

So little time left! I know I have been a bit neglectful lately. I have three little ones, and we have just been hit hard this season with back to back illnesses... Just when one starts to feel better, another one will have a fever... UGH! I hate being sick myself, and it's just miserable to watch your kids struggle through a fever or stomach virus. Yikes!

Anyway, not to be a little ray of sunshine, but I thought I was actually going to be ORGANIZED this holiday season, well, one big HA_HA on me. We decided to give homemade preserves for Christmas this year to some of our lucky friends and family, this was done by my hubby back at summer's end, so I thought- wow- I can actually coast now... AND here's how the trouble always begins right? You know you have one less thing to do, you take it for granted now that you have that extra bit of time now and you get lackadaisical about everything, then BOOM- you suddenly realize that there are only 9 shopping days left until Christmas... and the panic sets in! Did I mail a card to cousin Eddie, why didn't I buy that scarf for Granny when it was on sale, will my brother really appreciate that gift certificate to the "man spa"... and it goes on like this until the tree is trimmed, all the presents are wrapped, stockings stuffed, and Christmas dinner is on the table...

I have found that now more than ever this year, I am really trying to shop local for gifts, or buy homemade crafty gift items online. I have been surfing Etsy like crazy for unique treasures and awe-inspiring baubles at an amazingly affordable price. I am even going to *Gasp* crochet a hat for my sister (at her request!) I think that this year, in light of the economic situation we are facing, it is so important that instead of just arbitrarily buying gifts just to be giving something to a person, that we really take a moment to think about the person that will be receiving this gift. I have found that just by going to Etsy and browsing all of the wonderful and creative items up for sale, that inevitably I see something that reminds me of someone, or that inspires my direction somehow. This is really an incredible site that you should visit when you have the time to sit down and really browse. Another great blog for crafts and ideas is Jessica Jones' How About Orange.

Another feeling that I have, which I mentioned before, is that I wanted to try to support local artisans and the community by buying things made locally here in Tennessee or even just made the USA... Do you know how hard this concept is becoming?! Commercially, you can forget it with the big stores, I read that four out of five toys sold here in the US are made in China. I know that kids are always going to want that fabulous toy they've seen on tv. However, for the adults in your life, there are a few local shops that will pride themselves on supporting local arts and crafts. In Oak Ridge, you can start by perusing the shops at Jackson Square, where you can always stop for a yummy snack and well-earned hot cuppa coffee at Moondollars Cafe (where I actually bought one of my Christmas gifts - a print by the artist & mathematician Stacey Kite,) and then perhaps make your over to the Corner Gallery at Grove Center. Believe me- compared to battling the mob in Wal-Mart, it's a much nicer way to spend an afternoon of shopping.