Eager for the new year

As this year draws to a close, I'm looking back and reflecting on all that I've done, but also looking ahead at all that I want to do. I've always been an idea person. I've never had difficulty coming up with ideas. In fact, I have a whole "vault" of ideas that are waiting for their moment to shine. Now that the holiday craziness is over, I'm really looking forward to peering into the vault, and deciding which ideas to focus on in the new year.

I've been living a very full life (perhaps at times a bit too full), and in the coming year I hope to really set some solid priorities, and focus on only the things that are most important to me. Which is difficult for me, as I am usually the type to want to do it all. But I realize that if I keep adding more and more to my plate, at some point the plate will shatter, no longer being able to hold the weight of everything I've put on it, and cause everything to come crashing down. What a mess that would be!

So my resolution for the new year is to simplify my life. Declutter. Focus. Live simply. I'm feeling very upbeat and positive about the year to come, and am very much looking forward to it.

Happy New Year!

Theme Thursday: Midnight Carnival

Etsy has this really fun thing called Treasury, where you can curate a shopping gallery of items from Etsy sellers. It can be tricky to snag an opening to create a Treasury, as there is a very short time frame when they open up, so you have to be at the right place at the right time. I love making Treasuries, and often will drop whatever I'm working on if there's a chance that I can grab one. Fortunately I was in the right place at the right time this week! I had a lot of fun creating this Midnight Carnival collection, and thought I'd share it here for my Theme Thursday post. Here's a screen shot of it:

You can also view it on Etsy here. Enjoy!

Has it really been...

a month since I last blogged? My, oh my, where did November go? Oh wait...now I remember: I published the winter issue of Modern Handmade Child, worked extra at the florist shop in preparation for our holiday open house and Thanksgiving, made new items for my Etsy shop (including 4 new hand sewn flower designs), finished up and launched the new EtsyKids website, and traveled for Thanksgiving, not to mention the every day craziness of being a mom to a 2 1/2 year old. No wonder November flew by! But I think I'm finally caught up with everything that got set to the side while I was in the midst of November chaos, and hope to get back on track with blogging too.

Trick or Treat!

This fall has been very hectic. I've stretched myself just about as far as I can, which means that often things don't get done until the last minute, because, well, I simply don't have time to get started on them early. I've known for quite some time now that I wanted to make my daughter a penguin costume for Halloween, as she has been obsessed with penguins since discovering Pingu. So when did I start this little project? Late last Tuesday night. When did I finish? Early Friday morning before work, so that she could wear it at daycare, as they were planning to do a costume parade with the kids. When I dropped her off with her costume in her bag, I thought, "Gosh, I hope this fits, because I never even tried it on her!"

Fortunately, it did fit her perfectly. And she got to wear it again for her first time trick-or-treating, which was loads of fun! She was a bit tentative at first, going out in the dark to walk around the block. But after the first couple of houses, she got the hang of it. She said "trick or treat" and "Happy Halloween" to everyone. In fact, she's still saying it. She has been talking about it all weekend, and even reenacting the trick-or-treating with her dolls. So cute!

EtsyKids: Santa's Sleigh Ride Team Holiday Sale

Graphic by Twinkle Star Art

This holiday season, join the EtsyKids Team for a ride in Santa's Sleigh! Starting November 1st through Christmas Eve, participating shops will be sharing the holiday cheer with a shop sale of their choice. Santa will be traveling to each shop to take advantage of these great savings and you can come along and perhaps snag a deal of your own! To help Santa, and so he doesn't get lost, we'll be tracking his journey with a new blog post at each regional stop and highlighting the stores he's visiting.

This week, he's starting his journey in Canada. And those Canucks know how to craft. See for yourself...

Each of my one-of-a-kind hair accessories and finger puppets is 100% handmade. That means hand-cut (no craft punches or die cutters), hand-stitched (no glue), and designed by me.

I'm offering 1 free hair clip (5.00 value) with the purchase of any three clips Let's Shop!



Simple and stylish designs for everyday living.

I'm offering Buy 1 item take 10% off your order, buy 2 items take 15%, buy 3 or more and take 20% off your order (prior to shipping) Let's Shop!



Here you will find quilts, crayon bags, crayon rolls, tea wallets, coasters and eco friendly cloth napkins. Let me help you find the perfect gift!

I'm offering 10% off your total order (prior to shipping) Let's Shop!


Stay tuned, Santa will be visiting a new region on Thursday!

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reposted from: EtsyKids: Santa's Sleigh Ride Team Holiday Sale

It's here! Hooray!!

Open publication - Free publishing - More winter

The winter issue of Modern Handmade Child has arrived! I am so thrilled with this issue! It's filled to the brim with fantastic articles, crafts, and ideas for the winter and holiday season. So take a peek...I'm sure you'll love it!

Theme Thursday: Modern Handmade Child Staff

The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy for me, as we've been finishing up the next issue of Modern Handmade Child. This week, I thought I'd give a little shout out to a few of the talented ladies who are working with me on the mag:

Gretchen and I are the co-founders and editors of Modern Handmade Child. She's a very talented illustrator and designer, and her shop is filled with the most adorable artwork, like this print:

Oh Happy Day Print by Chichiboulie


Kristi is a writer for the dwell section, and her shop is full of all things cute and girly, such as this sweet little headband:

Dainty Blooms Headband by Zuzu Girl


Kim is a writer for the play section. She has a background in early education, and makes these wonderful little flipboards:

Educational Flipboard Games Set by Tootsie Bear


Rozzi does sewing tutorials for the magazine, and in her shop you will find sweet little outfits for your little sweet peas, like this darling bowling shirt:

Buster Bee Bowling Shirt by Rozzi's Sweet Peas


Nicole is a writer for the taste section. She makes boo boo cubes, paper party goods, and these fun redesigned crayons:

Lil Scribblers™ by Lil Boo & Co.


The newest addition to our team is Marissa, who will be writing for our 'wear' section. Her shop is full of super cute clothing for babies and toddlers, like these diaper covers:

Garden Lover Ruffle Diaper Cover by Rae Gun