Tulip Tree Baby July 31, 2008

I just returned from our annual family trip to visit my parents in Oklahoma.  Both of my sisters show up with all of their family and I fly in to spend some days of family fun in the blazing summer heat of Oklahoma.  All 16 of us crowd together in my parent’s house- laughing, eating and running around.  Since it is so hot, most of our time is spent splashing around in the pool.

This year, both of my sisters had kids still in diapers.  One of my sisters was trying desperately to potty train my two year old niece but as is inevitable with this process, there were lots of accidents.  She had a great bribery tactic going-pee in the potty and you get a sucker- but it was slow going.  As I watched how hard she was working, I couldn’t help but thank God that I was out of the diaper stage. 

There wasn’t much that I liked about this whole phase but when I saw Tulip Tree Baby’s wool diaper covers on Etsy, I wondered if I might have found it a little more enjoyable.  These adorable hand knit diaper covers are made of wool, a naturally deodorizing and  antibacterial fabric, reducing the need for frequent washing.  Wool is also stretchy, making it span a number of sizes for less waste.  Best of all- they are totally cute!  They make great bloomers under dresses….and for all you moms  of boys, your little tikes can just wear them with a t-shirt or under their pants.  I somehow doubt that there is much to love about the diaper stage but I think Tulip Tree Baby’s wool diaper covers might have eased the pain a little bit! 

Italian Paper Domino Tile Pendant Giveaway July 30, 2008

I have decided to have a little giveaway on my blog.  I am in absolute love with this little pendant that I made from a recycled domino tile. (I can’t take much of the credit because the paper I used is sooo fabulous.)  Often times when I finish a project, I find little things I wish I had done better but I really like this one– so, I have decided to give it away. 

How do I win you ask?  Just enter a comment in the comment box by August 10th and I will draw a random winner (with the help of my boys) on the 11th.  Good luck!

If you love giveaways and are always looking for the chance to win more swag go to Bloggy Giveaways to see all the great contests that are currently available.

Mia Joie

In my younger days, I had a never ending fantasy of having a little girl.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the rough and tumble life as the mom of two boys but I always thought I would also have a girl.  (I think part of it is that I am very close with my mom and had visions of continuing this positive relationship with the next generation.)  Alas, it was not to be!  Now, I just get my girly fix by making my own jewelry and ogling little girl’s fashions. 

One shop that helps feed my need for girly is the adorable Mia Joie.   (Oh yeah, it also has booties for little boys.)  It features handmade baby shoes made from organic and repurposed fabrics.  Look at these adorable shoes pictured on the left. The artist, Jessica Haley, describes these booties as  “stylish, super soft, and ultra eco friendly. They are made from fushia organic cotton and lined with organic fleece.  In addition, this shoe has reclaimed floral insole.”  What little princess wouldn’t want to strut around in these shoes?

In addition to using organic cotton, All Mia Joie™ shoes come gift packaged in an eco-friendly and reusable fabric bag.   Mia Joie also donates 10% of all sales to Giving Children Hope, a non-profit organization that refurbishes medical equipment to assist needy children.
Jessica has a beautiful Mia Joie blog, that currently features many of her etsy favorites and also has articles talking about the importance of using organic cotton.  If you visit her blog, you can sign up for her newsletter and receive an instant $5 off coupon.   http://www.miajoie.blogspot.com/.  Check her out!

Honeysuckle Creations July 29, 2008

Checkout this VERY cool chandelier from Honeysuckle Creations.  The artist uses old slides to form her one of a kind creations.  This chandelier is fashioned from vintage slides of the 60s and 70s. The theme of this chandelier is “The Sights of the World” and it includes professional and amateur  shots from Scotland, England, Mexico, Guatemala, the Grand Canyon, ruins, Sydney Australia, the Netherlands, Seattle, India, Russia, Chile, France, Texas, Greece, Austria, Rome, Italy, Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, Budapest,  and many more.  

Each slide is painted a pink color and then bound together with slides on all four sides.  Eight beautiful crystals finish the bottom of the chandelier.  What an amazing and unique use for old slides!!

To learn more about these amazing green creations, visit her blog at http://honeysucklecreations.blogspot.com/.

I Love it! July 28, 2008

  I just got my very own sea urchin necklace from Star of the East and I absolutely love it!  I essentially asked for this necklace on the left with a few modifications.  It arrived beautifully packaged and was exactly what I expected.  I had to put it on immediately and show it off.   Checkout Star of the East to see all of their amazing creations from the sea.

Etsy Sale of the Week!

This week I am offering an amazing sale in the 2Monkees store.  Buy any three items in the store and receive one free scrabble tile pendant of your choice for free.  There are so many to choose from, I am sure everyone can find one they just can’t live without.

How does it work?  Just go to 2Monkees and select the three items you would like to purchase.  At checkout, leave a message to the seller with your choice of scrabble tile pendant.  It might be best to leave me your top three choices in case your tile has been choosen by someone before you.  That’s it!  It is that simple and then you will be sporting a brand new scrabble tile pendant made from recycled scrabble tiles.

WoW! I am so Excited! July 27, 2008

I just had to share…..I can’t believe it.  Two stores bought my handmade items this week to sell in their stores! Here is one of my recycled domino tile pendants.  I am really enjoying using scraps of paper and old game pieces to create beautiful jewelry for people.  I just found a supplier of fair trade pewter pendant blanks that I can embellish with paper and other found objects.  The possibilities seem endless!  Check out my latest creations at     2monkees.

Star Of The East July 11, 2008

  I am absolutely in love with this unique collection of jewelry from Star of the East on etsy.  Star of the East is a mother and daughter team (Estella and Esther) who currently reside in Turkey.  After Esther suffered a devestating accident on the job in the Netherlands, she was no longer able to work at her job as a civil engineer.  She and Estella decided to relocate to Turkey, one of their favorite vacation spots.  Both women had always been interested in handicrafts but about 2.5 years ago they began producing jewelry- and what beautiful jewelry do they make!!!

This ring is made from an actual sea urchin that they found while combing the beach in Turkey.  In a million years, it would not have occured to me to make jewelry with a sea urchin but I LOVE the results.  I am enchanted with the different colors and settings they have employed in their designs.  I have some birthday money I was given from my parents and I have been continually checking their shop, trying to decide which piece to choose.  The problem is I want so many of them, I have not been able to make a decision!! 

Here is another piece I am thinking about….oh, the choices!!

To learn more about this talented mother-daughter duo, you can visit the Star of the East blog.  (And right now they are having a contest in which you can win one of their stunning sea urchin bracelets.)