Monday, November 10, 2008

Finding Motivation


Do you sometimes feel that all the effort you put into your work isn't worth the time spent? Do you get into a funk and lose faith in your ability to create or to motivate your students if you are a teacher? Having trouble impressing your colleagues or your boss or even yourself with your work lately? I just viewed this short video and loved the quotes and sent it out to my sons. Thought I would share it here . http://thejoymovie.com/ Take a few minutes to take a look at this and send it off to some friends.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

A Home for Your Feathered Friends




I found the perfect items for the bird lovers on your holiday list. The etsy shop of http://birdhouseaccents.etsy.com/ carries the most charming birdhouses I have seen. These handmade homes come in many different styles, shapes and colors. The two birdhouses shown here caught my eye because of all the little detail work and great colors. The camper would make a great conversation piece and look adorable in your yard or on your deck. Any bird would be proud to call one of these dellightful creations home! Take a look at all my HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE suggestions and get your shopping done early.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Favorite Things 2008


Debbie Lawrence of Bird on a Wire has just released her lovely holiday catalog. Favorite Things 2008. Inside it you will find 70 pages chock full of great gift ideas. Debbie was kind enough to include my items on pages 42- 44 of this wonderful gift catalog. You will find all kinds of great holiday gifts in this catalog such as stationery, luscious hot cocoa, adorable children's shoes and many other interesting items. Don't miss it and then take out out your list and get that shopping done before Thanksgiving.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

For the Men in Your Life

This item really blew me away as a truly unique and unusal gift for a man. It is one of the outstanding pieces of Steampunk Jewelry offered byhttp://edmdesigns.etsy.com

This is just one set of amazing cufflinks offered by this artist. I chose them because I think they ooze class.

I wondered exactly what steampunk means so here is the definition by wikipedia:

"is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.
Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.
Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual craftpersons into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk."

This item caught my eye as a nice gift for one of my sons. The shaving jelly contains aloe which is always soothing on the skin. I love the packaging and the idea that a lip balm for chapped lips is included. This shop http://ibrodar.etsy.com/ is another one with unusual gift items . Don't miss it!


This luscious brown scarf is handwoven with lambswool and silk by http://davyjones.etsy.com/

who has some beautiful offerings in his shop. Make sure to visit his shop today for top quality handwoven items.



Finding the right gift for my guys is never easy. I have two sons and a husband to shop for every holiday season and of course birthdays and other special occasions. I spent the morning searching etsy for some fine items for men to add to my HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE and although it was challenging I found some pretty nice offerings. There are multitudes of gifts available for women and children while the men seem to get stuck with another boring shirt or tie. I chose three different shops to show you for excellent men's selections.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Stackable Rings







If you are a jewelry "nut" like I am, chances are you might wear lots of rings. My rings never come off my fingers and that is one of the reasons stackable rings work well for me. I can enhance my lovely petite rings with another one of a similar material or with a design that will make the ring next to it stand out like a frame on a picture. In my quest to add wonderful selections to my HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE, I discovered the newly opened shop of http://cosmosmoon.etsy.com/. She has been doing metalsmithing for over 2o years and has some outstanding pieces in her shop. Her stackable rings would make a lovely gift for that special lady in your life. The bracelet featured here is one of an award winning series of incredible one- of -a- kind pieces. I had to include it in this post!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Magic, Fairy Tales, and a Sprinkle of Whimsy




The magical artwork of Victoria Vusova has captured my heart. After browsing her wonderful shop, I knew her work would be perfect to add to my HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE. Her brightly colored works of art will put a smile on your face. Reminiscent of the fairy tales that enchanted me as a child , I chose these beautiful pieces to feature. Do not miss her shop at http://vusova.etsy.com/ and think about making one of her pieces of art a gift for that special person on your shopping list.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Too Early for the Flu?


That's what I thought! I even have an appointment in a week or so to get my vaccine. I noticed a little scratchy feeling in my throat about a week ago, but didn't think much about it. Then it was like a small bomb went off in my nose. I've been through 3 boxes of tissues, containers of homemade chicken soup, lots of Advil, night sweats, fever and there seems to be no end in sight. I thought maybe some of my cyber friends might have a flu remedy to recommend. I thought that humor might work and have been looking a flu cartoons. Thought this one was kind of cute.