Save Handmade Toys

I love featuring handmade toys on here, toys made with love by people who care deeply about what they are making. But come February 10, 2009 all that is going to dissapear. Once again legislation has been passed out of fear, not education, and this effects everyone reading this. While we are all for making sure that toys that are toxic do not make their way into our homes, Congress passed a very ignorant law that will wipe out every small toy maker, crafter, and artisan who pours their hearts and souls into creating wonderful things for our children.

The Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act was created to prevent more situations like the mass lead recalls, but fails the public in so many other ways. There is no way that me or you can afford the thousands of dollars that it takes for all of our products to be third party tested and labled, let alone the small toy companies, the Etsy crafters, or the grandfathers who carve cars for craftshows. Thinking about the people impacted by this makes me sick as a crafters, an Etsian, and a mom who adores handmade toys.

Please please please click the picture above and take action. Maybe we can get Congress to recind this mindless act and reform it so that is does more good than harm.

Cleveland Handmade Last Minute Market

8 7 1 C a n t e r b u r y . W e s t l a k e . O h i o . 4 4 1 4 5

Cleveland Handmade is enabling, maybe even encouraging, holiday shopping procrastination with a LAST MINUTE handmade market. Many of the sellers presenting will be offering special deals and pricing, just for the show!

Come support your local artists and craftspeople while you enjoy wine, refreshments and a fun, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. There will be something (handmade!) for just about everyone on your list.

Charity Project

Teaching our kids to give to others is really important, not only does it benefit others but it makes them feel like they are making a difference in the world. This Christmas we are going to make some homeless kitties very happy by making some catnip filled birdies using the awesome pattern by Spool Sewing found here. While I am pretty inept at using a sewing machine, this pattern is super easy to do by hand and is quick enough that I can make a few during naptime or while relaxing before bed. I sew the birds and then Gabby helps me stuff them with poly-fil and catnip (Cosmic Catnip is the best!) then AJ puts them in the basket. We are going to take them to the Berea Animal Shelter where we adopted Tuck (the cat of my heart). What are you doing this holiday season for others?

My First Craft Show

.....was a flop, but luckily not because of anything I did. I actually made quite a bit since there was all of 5 customers there, but it was definitely a dissapointment. This was the first show at the dance studio and I think that it was a learning experience for the owner. I am very proud of myself though for making my table look fun and getting tons of hair clippies done for sale though (now if anyone knows what I can do with about 200 pairs of hair clips I am open to all ideas!!!)
A couple of people suggested adding them to my Etsy store, but the thought of taking pics and listing all those clips makes me a bit dizzy, plus every pair is different. Sooooo..... what next? =)

Wordless Wednesday

Things I love

Top 10 Things that I Cannot Live Without!!!

(feel free to share the things you love!!)

10. My tap shoes by Bloch- I have had them for over 8 years and LOVE them!!

9. Curvy Hailey Dark Vintage Jean by Aeropostale- the only brand where the "short" is actually short enough for my 4'10" frame!

8. Music fragrance by Harajuku Lovers- a very citusy and fun scent

7. My Lucky Bamboo necklace by Dogeared.com, this necklace never comes off and my luck continues to grow!

6. Wondertime Magazine- I can't get enough of this magazine, full of crafts, good parent tips, and a very cool layout.

5. Woodwick Candle in Snowflake- a sweet and minty scent, plus a wonderful crackling sound that makes you think you are sitting by a fire!

4. The Notebook starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams- a classic love story, my favorite!

3. My iPod Touch- my life is on this thing.... loooooove it!

2. Any book by Nora Roberts. I re-read them all the time and they never let me down. I am currently revisiting the Three Sisters trilogy. Click here for her awesome website!

1. My laptop!!! A refurbished IBM Thinkpad that is my lifeline to the outside world, my enjoyment, extra income, and the one material thing that I would run into a burning house to get! =)

Happy Anniversary!!!

Yesterday, Dec 6th, was our 5 year anniversary! Yay for making it though 5 years of wonderful, scary, hard, and amazing. We started out a couple of rogue Greeks, fresh out of college, who decided to elope to another country, lived in a closet of an apartment, and got ourselves a baby as a honeymoon souvenier. Now we are living in the burbs with a mortgage, two lil girls, bills, pets, and still going strong.

Klint and I like to tell each other that our marriage is an adventure, always keeping us on our toes and never dull. (How life can be dull with two girls, 4 cats, and one nutty dog plus a slew of dysfunctional family members is beyond me!!) I like to tease him that in my day I kissed a lot of frogs, but I needed to in order to find my prince. No matter what, we are living happily ever after. =)

Here are some pics of our past and present: Enjoy!!!

We eloped to Niagara Falls, Canada

Last day of college at Baldwin-Wallace

Decided to elope in November

Preggo with Gabby Rae, still had 3 months to go!!

Gabby at 8 months

Klint and Gabby when she was almost 2

Gabby at 3 years

Preggo with AJ, still had 1 1/2 months to go!!

In the NICU with AJ on the day she got to come home!

AJ at 7 months

AJ playing in the pumpkin field, she just turned 1 =)

Flashback (& Forward!)

I definitely stole this from Bethany at Cartwheel Soup, thanks Bethany!!

20 years ago I... (1988)
1. was living on Grand Island, NY and going to a special school for gifted and talented kids, I was even a nerd at age 7!
2. Went to the Gloria Estefan concert in Buffalo, and got a perm!
3. Had only 2 sisters, no brothers yet
4. Listened to Rock & Roll, was taking ballet, watched Smurfs and She-Ra
5. Lived with my grandparents a lot since my mom had a tendancy to cut out on us a lot.

10 years ago I... (1998)
1. was a junior at Sweet Home High School and a cheerleader
2. sang in every choir imaginable, performed a ton, and was most likely dating someone from the tenor section!
3. was in foster care, living with my aunt and was probably more messed up from that than anything else from my childhood.

5 years ago I... (2003)
1. graduated from Baldwin-Wallace after 4 great years of Zeta Tau Alpha, dancing all day, and hanging out with my guys of Pi Lambda Phi!
2. Eloped to Niagara Falls with my fellow Greek sweetie!! (Our 5 yr anniversary is on Sat!)
3. Got pregnant on our honeymoon with Miss Gabby!

1 year ago I...(2007)
1. Had my second girl, Miss Amelia
2. was working in the insurance industry, stuck in a cube working 9-5, ugh!
3. was driving a red minivan, double yikes!

This year I... (2008)
1. quit my job and get to stay at home with my girls!
2. began dancing again professionally and now live at the dance studio when I am not home
3. started doing graphic design and have a thriving business on Etsy that I tend to at night and when the kids are napping.

Last month I.... (November)
1. Began making girl's barrettes for a craft show and realized that I love crafting in general. =)
2. Had a great Thanksgiving with the in-laws and my sorority sis Carena.
3. realized that no matter what, I can't make my family in NY care and put a stop to the cycle started so long ago.

Yesterday I...(Dec. 3rd)
1. babysat my two little terrors along with my two girls.
2. took the kids to see Santa at the mall
3. had sloppy joes and tatertots for dinner-yum!

Today I...(Dec. 4th)
1. Will babysit again
2. am taking the kids to the library for some reading fun
3. have musical theatre class from 5-6
4. will take a nice bubblebath

Tomorrow I will... (Dec. 5th)
1. not have anyone else's kids but my own!
2. go shopping for my anniversary clothes
3. take Spooky to the dog park, sleep in a little, and maybe eat out with the kids!

In the next year I will... (2009)
1. still be dancing, crafting, and not working in a cube!
2. be married to a Lakewood cop (Klint takes the test on Monday!!!)
3. still be as happy and in love as I have been this year!

All I Want for Christmas...

...is a place to keep my craftiness organized and cute!

For Christmas I have mentioned that we are only giving each other 4 gifts: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. Well, my want and need are one and the same: a place to keep my craft supplies organized, a place where I can craft and feel inspired but can close the doors and leave a project half done without fear of little hands (or paws) getting into the glue, glitter, and papers. So I started looking for inspiration and found exactly what I wanted at (of course) Martha Stewarts's website. =) Do you see why I am adoring this woman nowadays? This was my mecca of craft areas:

It is a place that I can close, is cute, and very well organized. Problem is though that is takes a lot of work to find two sturdy bookcases that match but are different depths, not to mention the cost of fitting them together, fitting them with plaxiglass shelves, etc... so we thought about what else would work within a $100 budget... when the answer was looking at me as we thought and thought... our catch-all closet in the playroom!! It holds all the things that don't have a home, things that are forgotten and not needed or have a place elsewhere in the house. This is the inspiration picture from Better Homes and Gardens magazine- 100 tips for Organization.

So now that we know what is going to house my craft area I need ideas on where to get cute storage supplies, tools that you use to keep your inspiration flowing but not overflowing into your living areas. What organizational tool can you not live without? I need to get everything from a desk to shelves, etc so help my hubby out and send your organize tips and tricks here!!

Today

Today I Feel: Content. I managed to take three kids to the zoo without losing my temper, sanity, or one of them!

I Love the Smell of: My new peppermint cleaning set by Mrs. Meyers ... love it!

I am reading: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (4th in the Twilight series)

Outside it is: Cold as all get out!!! Flurries everywhere and a definite winter chill going on!

I Wish: that my feet would warm up and that my bubble bath wouldn't run out...ever.

My girls are: both a source of joy, especially during naptime... =)

I am inspired by: crafty people, everyone from Martha Stewart to bloggers like Homemade by Jill.

My favorite thing: is my new necklace from http://www.dogeared.com/ , a teeny piece of pink coral meant to inspire my creativity.