Eat, Drink and be Merry!

It's that time of year again. It seems like it got here fast, doesn't it? I hope your New Year's celebration is safe, fun and fab! Cheers!

Be sure to click on the image to visit the shop it came from. I believe these are now on sale.

I'm in a treasury!

This treasury will expire in two days, so check it out! If it's already expired, you can check out my eco chic necklace here.

Merry Christmas!

It's today! Really! Merry Christmas. This Reinhog completely melted my heart! How cute is he? He looks like he's ready to lead the team of reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh!

Check out the other cute stamps at Rubber Hedgehog.

Extra Kind

I recently had lunch with a group of friends to catch up and celebrate the holidays a little early. We had a great time catching up on people's promotions at work, who's newly pregnant and so on. But something I didn't expect was everyone's "holiday drama". Many people think of the holidays as a Norman Rockwellian moment with family while, in truth, no one is having that idealistic moment.

Without revealing anyone's name or identifying details, there were cases of all of the following at our lunch table; families who have cancelled Christmas gift exchange this year due to the economy, people who have planned major surgery during the holiday because it is the only paid time of they ever get, a step parent who is trying to push an uninvited make over on their adult single step child, a family working on their house not being sure if there will be a space for their invited family members to comfortably stay with them (knowing it's too late to get a hotel reservation) and the list goes on and on. So please let this post be a reminder to show those around you this holiday season a little extra kindness. Everyone has their stressors this time of year and would appreciate a tiny act of kindness.

Smiling is free. Letting that person with one item go before you in line when you have a basketful of groceries to feed an army only costs a minute of time. Not battling your fellow humans for that last parking spot is being the bigger person and you get a little excercise walking across the lot.

Be sure to check out houseofharriet's lovely etsy shop where I found the beautiful blue and white ornaments. Have a Great Holiday!

My Fave Tweet to Date!

So, on twitter everyday one sees a lot of funny things and not so funny things. This is my favorite tweet to date.

Check out City Craft -- they have beautiful fabrics and obviously a great sense of humor! ;)

Clever Octopi

Get an eyeful of this clever octopus! This little guy and his friends have learned how to clear out and use coconut shells as shelter and a place to hide. This is a behavior that hasn't been seen in them before. Check out the whole story here.

Photo courtesy of AP

wondering about wrapping green for the holidays?

I love to re-use the comic section from the paper to wrap gifts any time of year. The black and white section of the paper work too with a bright colored ribbon. Recently, I came across this great post on Sweet Greens about green wrapping for the holidays. Check out these tips, they're great! :)

Who doesn't need one of these?

So, as I was poking around on Etsy, I found this pint coozy from yubomination. How cute is that? It even has a snowflake pattern! There's nothing worse than chilly fingers whe eating ice cream direct from the freezer -- we all know it tastes better that way! :) What a clever idea!

This finally got a forever home...

I love the movie Cider House Rules and the idea that the children there eventually get "forever homes." Sometimes my creations feel like children to me and I'm delighted when the find "forever homes."

This earth-friendly wreath got a forever home during the North Haven Gardens Event. We spent hours together while I was creating it and we got to be friends. Merry Christmas! :)

Custom order - the grid

I received this book in the mail today from a customer that has asked me to create a custom order for a Christmas gift. I'll show you the results after Christmas...I don't want to ruin anyone's surprise! ;) Can't wait to get started!

Feature: Texas Beadz

Here's my interview with the woman behind Texasbeadz.

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff, fun stuff.

I'm Lynn from Dallas surrounds and I am an Etsy-holic. Yes, I do admit I am
a holic of the beading kind. I love everything jewelry so the best way to
feed the need is to make it...and make it...and make it. I have a shop on
Etsy that has items ranging from $10 to $150, fluff to fabulous. Favorite is
anything pearlie!

Apart from creating things, what do you do? Do you have a day job?

I actually wear several hats and when I'm not creating jewelry I also have a
travel business helping plan upscale cruise vacations. In my spare time
(hear the roaring laughter) I also help my husband with his consulting firm.
I love the end of the day when we chop wood and start a roaring fire (ok,
I'm going to tell the truth, it's gas). I head in to the kitchen with a
glass of wine and start my favorite pastime, cooking. My forte is rustic
foods and especially Italian cooking. With over 100 cookbooks the only time
they are touched is when they get dusted or I need a little inspiration.

When not creating, planning or cooking, I love to golf, hang with my best
friend husband and play with our friends. We are no longer travel bugs both
having to do international travel for a living over 20 years, so staying
home is the best place we can be!!

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

My inspiration comes mostly from the ocean. My love for water drives me to
the elements of and around the sea. Pearls are my favorite element and
second would be earth elements. I go for texture, color and is it appealing
to the touch. Then just sit down and away we go. No studying, no drawing, no getting up in the middle of the night. I just sit down and see what happens with the materials in front of me.


What handmade possession do you most cherish?

I think I would have to say my most cherished personally made item are my grandmothers faceted amber beads that I restrung last year. They date back to the 30s if not before and have such character. I don't really recall her ever wearing them because I think they have been broken since I was born (not telling)



What inspires you?

Internal serenity and peace. Sounds corny but it's really
true. I have a loving best friend of a husband that supports anything I do,
I live in a wonderfully quiet environment surrounded by nature. My life is
in total balance with fitness and health so with this combination, I have
nothing to muddy my mental waters and have complete clarity to create pretty
much on demand. Just wish I had more time to create and let the admin get
done by the fairies!

fungus among us

While I was at home for Thanksgiving we walked at the park each day. We saw this and had to stop and take a picture! It's a HUGE mushroom growing ont he side of a tree! How cool is that? It was there every day we walked. I'm surprised an animal hadn't eaten it by the last day. It just kept getting bigger and bigger!

For Me?

Some friends of mine recently bought this basket for their house. It seems that one of their kitties, Trixie, thought it was a perfect place to hang out! It makes me wonder how she'll get outta there when she's ready. If she was my kitty I might have to call her Mustache ('stache for short) -- check out that adorable milk mustache! :)

Club Med - Senegal

What a cool structure! A Sustaninable building that is a part of Senegal's Club Med. Read more here.

Here are some pictures from the North Haven Gardens Event that was this past weekend. The weather was not ideal as there was misty rain and cold weather. It was a great weekend for hot chocolate and hot apple cider which we had plenty of thanks to NHG.


We were grateful to be inside...it was a bit too chilly for outside set up. Here are a couple snap shots of the conference room where we all set up our booth spaces. These were taken from the doorway looking in.

And here's a peek from my perspective of the show from behind my table.


There were some familiar faces there including; Modest Ambition, Karma Crochet, Tefi Designs, The Pig and the Peacock, F is for Frank, Three Yellow Starfish, Eye on the Sparrow Designs, La Alicia, Cut Out and Collect, Millinerium and that's all I can remember right now.




Here are Ginger of Millinerium and Patricia of Karma Crochet chatting toward the end of the show.

Give it Forward!

Give it Forward is a cool giveaway put on by CosaVerde and their sellers. Check it out and suggest people to give the giveaways too. How fun is that? You can suggest people you know to receive the items being given away.

Turkey?

What kind of Thanksgiving left overs are on your plate? I love to have a sandwich with a little of everything in it -- turkey, dressing, lettuce, cranberry...so yummy and portable. What are you eating today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

This cutie little pendant is from P is for Paper on Etsy. Gobble Gobble!

Garlands, garlands, garlands!!

We all have begin to decorate for the holidays -- at home, and where ever else we spend lots of time -- there are garlands EVERYWHERE!! This garland from my Etsy Shop made it into the Holiday Gift Guides and that made me squeal! I wonder who will give it a home for the holidays this year...

I survived!!

I survived the 2009 Jingle Bash! Woo HOO! Traffic was fabulous, customers were great and a good time was had by all. Check out the line waiting to get in! :)

It's Today!!

Wow, it's finally here! Please join us at the Jingle Bash today. If you want a sneak peek of who will be there, check out the artist's list here.

If you're interested in a free goody bag, be one of the first 50 people to be there! These bags are chock full of goodies from our artists.

Hope to see you there!

Psst, hey Santa, look over here!

I'm a newbie on the EtsyLabrats Team. I'm still getting to know my teammates and their work. Here are some fun giftie ideas that I found searching on Etsy.

This beautifully detailed koi bracelet is made by emptynestegg. I can't imagine the patience and knowledge it takes to create such a woderful bracelet! If I attempted this I think I would go stark raving mad! :)


These thank you cards from 2ndcoming are great. The carefree style ad bright colors and just the style for a lovely thank you note.

I have found it, the perfect little girl gift made by zomoandbara. What little girl wouldn't be delighted to wear her very own Little Red headband?

Oh, Pearls, how I love thee! Check out this necklace by BeadzNBling. It will go with everything in your closet. I think I would wear it with the clasp in the front -- it's stunning. This would be a great gift for a a hard-to-buy-for-woman.

Happy Shopping!

Santa's Little Helper - more handmade

So, there are so many fun giftie items from the Etsy Dallas team, one post just wasn't enough! Check out Color Box Design's letterpress holiday cards. Letterpress is such a luxious texture experience, if you haven't had the pleasure -- I encourage you to check it out! They're tons of gorgeous designs to choose from -- classic to funny (elf feet)!

Pamela Michelle's shop makes it hard to pick one fave -- but I made myself pick just one to feature. This cutie butterfly ring features her unique illustration style that you can wear -- how awesome is that? Flutter on!

DesignRoots have these adorable thank you notes -- any who doesn't need those as we move through the holiday season? (You know your granny would tell you to write those thank you notes!)


This turkey plushie from Midnightsnack makes me smile. A great hostess gift for someone who has everything including a great sense of humor. Or just something fun to add to the sofa to get into holiday spirit. Gobble Gobble!

Beethings is one of my new fave etsy shops -- her prints are just great! Again, hard to pick just one but I forced myself to! This limited edition print is too fun and would be great on a wall just about anywhere. (Santa, please don't put this IN anyone's STOCKING, please hang it on the wall behind the stocking.) It would be criminal to wrinkle this print! :)

Happy Shopping! All these artists will be live in person at the Jingle Bash on Saturday!

santa's little helper -- handmade

Ok, I couldn't help myself! More cutie stocking stuffers from my handmade friends over at Etsy Dallas. For more info on these items, just click on the pictures.



This scrabble tile pendant from Karmacrochet is just too fun!

Not to mention this mad for plaid ring from Tefi. What would this not go with?


The Pig and the Peacock makes this cute shark soap -- sure to make bathtime more fun!

Modest Ambition's crocheted pins are sure to add a little zip to any outfit in any season.



This key fob from Banana Showcase will help you keep track of your keys in a stylish way.







Keep an eye on the Etsy Dallas site and follow @etsydallas on twitter for opportunities to win Bash Bucks that spend like cash at any participating artist's booth. See the Etsy Dallas site for all the nitty gritty details. Happy Shopping!

America Recycles Day!

Hey, it's today -- it's official America Recycles Day! Click here to find and event near you. It's not a holiday just to recycle today -- think about how you can set things up at home and work to make recycling a part of your everyday life.

Bash Bucks!!

We Bash artists are getting really excited as the much-anticipated Jingle Bash nears. We're so excited that some of us have to occasionally put down our scissors, paint brushes, pliers, and hooks to do a little happy dance. Lemme tell ya, we love to happy dance.

In fact, we're so thrilled about the Jingle Bash that we want to offer you a chance to join us in our collective happy dancing by offering a chance to win some awesome prizes in the form of Bash Bucks. Yep, Bash Bucks are like gift certificates you'll pick up the day of the Jingle Bash - and you can spend them at ANY participating artisit's booth during the Bash. You can't go wrong.

You can win by commenting on the Etsy Dallas blog post or tweeting the Jingle Bash.

MORE INFO ON THE CONTEST HERE

[Reposted from the Etsy Dallas blog.]

Santa's Little Helper

So, I have perused this site that is a new discovery for me and have found all kinds of cool stocking stuffer items. Santa, are you listening? I know this is your busy season -- just trying to help you out!

This "we met on facebook" gum just cracks me up! Who wouldn't giggle about this?

And what about these paper doll notecards? Too cutie!

To see more details on a stocking stuffer, click on the picture to be taken to more info about it.

Ok, this Rudolph lip gloss takes the cake with his blinking nose! What girl (yound or old) wouldn't want Rudolph in her make up bag?

Or the sweet treat lip balm set for the dessert lover
on your list! ;)

Sneak Peek of who will be at the Jingle Bash

Are you just waiting for the Jingle Bash? If you'd like to have a sneak preview of who will be there, check out the Etsy Dallas Featured Artists page. If you're planning to shop with your friends and would like to do a little sneaky pre-shopping, go ahead. We understand that there are many secrets at this time of year! :) Happy Shopping!