Cleaning House...

...Etsy style.

Etsy jakintheb0x

As the end of the year approaches, I would really like to make room in my shop for new things. Not that I don't absolutely love everything that's in there now, but......
That stuff needs a good home.

So my blogger friends are getting a 20% discount until January 3rd on ANYTHING in my store using the code THISISME10

See things you like, but want different colors? Or, want a bow instead of a flower?
No problem. All CUSTOM orders will receive 25% off with the code CUSTOM2010 until January 3rd. To use this coupon, be sure to email me OR convo me first so I can make a listing for your item.

Not to be all Bah Humbug, but...

I'm glad Christmas is over this year.
I love my family, food, and all the presents that I got.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but it's such a stressful time.

Thursday, they were so slow at work, that they told me to not even come in. So Aaron and I battled last minute Christmas shoppers [not to buy stuff that we forgot, but to buy stuff that my Aunt needed]. It was kind of annoying having to circle parking lots 20 minutes just to find a spot, and waiting in line for 30 minutes just to buy one thing, but we had fun spending time just enjoying each other company.

Friday, I had to work for a few hours. After that we spent Christmas Eve at Nanny's eating lots of good food and opening a ton of presents.

Saturday, we headed to Aaron's Mom's house. Instead of doing a big lunch like we usually do, we decided just to do appetizers. It was a great success. I made hot spinach and artichoke dip, chicken salad sandwiches, and a chocolate cream cheese ball [that is to DIE for!]. After we ate, we opened presents watched The Christmas Story, and then headed back to our house.

It was nice getting to spend time with everyone, but I'm glad we're back to our every day life. No more stressing about presents and food, and what if so-n-so shows up.

And no, I have no pictures to share with you. I forgot my camera [go me] so I have no pictures of my own.
Hope ya'll all had a semi-stress free/drama free holiday!

Stolen

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I love them both, but this year, I'm sticking with hot chocolate :)

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree? I wrap them AND set them under the tree. We don't do the whole santa thing, but I guess we'll start again...next year?

3. Colored or white lights on the tree/house? I like white lights, but we have a small tree that is prelit, and it is colored. It's kind of cute.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put up your decorations? We had so much going on this year, we weren't going to decorate. But Aaron finally put up our little tree about a week ago. Definitely makes it feel more like Christmas.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Eh, my Nanny's creamed corn is the best. Other than that, just desserts!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I remember my mom bought my sister and I a minnie mouse tent one year. And I remember being so excited that she let us sleep in it in the living room that night.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm very nosey by nature. One year, I stayed up and watched through the crack in the door as Nanny took ALL the presents from her bedroom into the living room where the tree was.

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve? We open all our presents on Christmas Eve from the family, and then "santa's gifts" on Christmas day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Ours is prelit. But I'm looking forward to when we get a house so we can get a real tree so I can decorate it.

11. Snow! Love or Dread it? We rarely get snow here. I wouldn't say I love it. It's fun for a day or so, but I definitely don't want it around all of the winter.

12. Can you ice skate? No, I suck at it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not at the moment....

14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Having all my family here to celebrate with me. Which is why this year is going to be so awesome, we're all going to be together.

15. Favorite holiday dessert? uhhh! so many to choose from.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

17. What tops your tree? This year, it's a star. Usually it's an angel that Nanny used to tell us was our Mom looking down over us for Christmas.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Both, but particularly love giving. I like to put a lot of thought into the things I get/make for people. And I love to see their reactions.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Baby It's cold outside [okay, I don't know if that's the name of it, but that's how it goes...]

20. Candy Canes? I like the soft sugar peppermints as opposed to regular candy canes, but I guess those are okay, too.

Frugal Christmas and a Stolen Credit Card

I had originally planned to take a picture of all the baked goods I made last night and how I packaged them, BUT I was in such a rush this morning to get everything done before I headed to work, that I totally forgot, and I won't be home again until Friday night. Sorry guys.

Anyways, here is a list of the things I made:
Peppermint bark
Turtle bark
Milk Chocolate AND White Chocolate covered pretzel sticks
Orange Amaretto Pound Cake
Gingerbread cookies
Hot Chocolate spoons

I put them in clear goody bags, and then put a few of each in these baker's boxes that I got from Michael's. Added a few candy canes and ribbon on the outside and VIOLA! A simple yet meaningful gift for my family. If you want any of the recipes I used, just leave your email address in a comment, tell me which one you want, and I will send it to you.

So, the reason that I was in such a rush to get everything done [even though I woke up TWO and a half hours before I needed to leave] is because this morning when I got online, I had an email from Capital One asking me to call them asap.
So I did.
And apparently someone stole not my credit card, but the number. HOW? I have no idea. I only use my c/c for emergencies AND I haven't used it online. We always shred our important documents.
When they told me they thought someone had stolen my card, I was kind of shocked, because, umm, hello? It's still in my wallet. But apparently it's true because the past few days SOMEONE has been spending a lot of money in ARIZONA.
Not only have I never been to Arizona, I haven't even been out of the state since August. I haven't even used my c/c since October.
Other than the fact that I'm really pissed off/confused about it, everything is okay. They canceled my account and I don't have to pay for any of the charges. They opened me up a new account and luckily I was able to keep all the same interest rates, etc.

I just don't understand how people can be so cruel.

Would you like fries with that?

Today Aaron and I decided to get out of Troy for a bit. We headed up to Montgomery, ate at Five Guys (so amazing), did a little last minute Christmas shopping, and then met up with Matt to see Black Swan.

I had heard GREAT things about it, and since I love Mila Kunis, I went into it thinking it was going to be amazing. Don't get me wrong, the acting was great, but the story line was just down right disturbing. Not my cup of tea, at all. I won't go into details, but basically, I wish I would have at least waited to see this until it came out on dvd. Oh well.

On our way home, I started reading I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn.
I'll let you know how that turns out when I finish.

When I got home, I baked. A lot. Like...for 4 straight hours.
More on that tomorrow....

Grocery Store Etiquette

I hear a lot about how much people hate going grocery shopping. And while there are certain things I hate about it, I just LOVE doing it. [I know this probably makes me weird, but I'm okay with that]

I think the biggest problem is that in general, people have no common courtesy.
For example, if you're going down an aisle, don't 'park' your cart right in the middle where people can't pass you. And, if you do it, don't give people dirty looks when they say excuse me as they're trying to get by. If you hit someone with your cart or ALMOST hit someone, say sorry...don't just keep walking like nothing happened. I will hate you 10 times more if you ignore it. Don't block the entrance to an aisle with your cart and/or body and then pretend to be deaf when someone asks you kindly if you can move. Do not have your cellphone on speaker phone, because no one really cares what you or your friend on the other line has to say. If you have young children, you should not let them run around all over the store screaming because they can't find you because you suck at being a parent. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people get a bag of chips off the shelf, and then open them and start eating them WHILE they are shopping. I do not think this is okay, at all. Oh, and pushing a cart? Is kind of like driving a car. One side of the aisle is for coming, and one side for going.

So, the next time you go grocery shopping, remember the manners that your parents [may or may not] have taught you, and make this weekly chore a little more enjoyable for us all.

Feels like forever

Happy 1 year anniversary to my sweet, loving husband!


A year ago today, I walked down the aisle, we said our vows, and kissed to make it official.
There have been many ups and downs through this year, but we made it through--still holding hands and smiling.

The secret's out

About a month ago, I wrote a post mentioning big life changes.
A few people commented and emailed asking me to be more specific, but I knew that I couldn't or else everyone would find out. I just wasn't quite ready for people to know yet.
It's so exciting though, I didn't really WANT to keep it a secret.
But now, I don't have to anymore.



This is Baby A :)
We were VERY surprised, as we were not trying to get pregnant. We are so happy/ecstatic/overwhelmed.
I had always heard that you never know a love like a mother's love for her child, and it's SO true. I am beside myself over this kid.

I found out I was pregnant [by home pregnancy test] on October 31st, and had it confirmed November 1st. Needless to say, I have had to keep my mouth shut for a LONG time. It was such a hard thing to do! But now I feel free. Because today I saw my baby for the first time, and the nurse told me that everything is progressing wonderfully. All the nervousness/paranoia went away. Please keep me in your thoughts and/or prayers during this pregnancy, and if you have any tips for parenthood, feel free to email me at jaksart [at] rocketmail [dot] com

& now I'm exhausted.

Is anyone else annoyed with these stupid status 'games' on facebook?
First it was the message me and I'll spill my guts and talk about totally inappropriate things on my status. And now it's message me a number and I'll tell you how madly in love I am with you, since I never had the confidence to tell you before.
Seriously annoying, and therefore I am boycotting until it's over.
OR at least until I can't stand to stay away from it anymore.

Today was so simple, yet so fulfilling. Woke up to Little Miss Sunshine on t.v. and watched the entire thing in bed. While watching it, my hubby brought me breakfast [just cereal, but still, I didn't even have to ASK!] And once the movie was over, I went back asleep :)
Oh, and the reason I was woken up so early? Because the freakin PECAN man was in my yard AGAIN this morning. This time though, Aaron took care of it.

The rest of the day was spent cooking/baking. I always feel bad that I am away from Aaron 3-4 days out of the week, so I try to cook something he can eat for a few days while I'm gone. Today I made lasagna and snickerdoodles. SO good.
One of my favorite friends here at school is graduating. I'm so proud of her, so I decided to let her know by making her a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. And my aunt's birthday is this weekend so I got all the stuff to make her double chocolate gooey butter cake.
I'm so excited about the holidays and other things that are happening right now, I just can't stand it!

For those of you who usually sign up for BMS, I am not going to host it this month. There is too much going on, I hope ya'll understand.

Mmmm

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Lumberjack potatoes.
They're my favorite breakfast food, ever.
The problem is the only place I can get them is an hour away...So I probably only get to eat them like twice a year.
Anyways, I decided it was time for me to make them myself.
It can't be too hard, right?

So here are the ingredients:
1 lb frozen hash browns
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
cubed ham
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter


In a large skillet, add hash browns. Use a spatula to flatten. Cook according to package.

In a different skillet on medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add onions and bell pepper. Add garlic after vegetables have softened. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the already cooked ham just long enough to be heated through.

When the hash browns have almost finished cooking, add the ham and vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat & add the cheese.

This stuff is so amazing, that we ate it up before I realized I forgot to take a picture [sorry!].

Dear Friends....

I'm sorry in advance.



I'm not looking forward to all the hate remarks that I'm SURE are going to be said after this show airs. Why am I so embarrassed? Because this is being taped 30 minutes away from my home town. I SWEAR all women from Alabama do not have super thick accents, wear camo, enjoy racing lawn mowers or kissing cows.

Please don't hold this against me :)

This stuff is amazing...

This month's issue of Food Network magazine has SO many good recipes in it. I mean, it usually does, but there is just something about holiday recipes that just really make me want to get in the kitchen.

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it.
As soon as I tasted it, I knew I had to share it.

source

Warm & Creamy Bacon Dip

8 oz softened cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
3 oz bacon bits
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure there are no big clumps of cream cheese. Pour into a 1 quart baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I served it with Chicken in a Biskit Crackers.
SO GOOD! Perfect for the upcoming holiday parties!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Things I'm thankful for this year:

• my sweet, loving husband
• my amazingly supportive family
• great friends
• Kami
• surprises ;)
• good tv [dexter, weeds, gossip girl]
• having a good job
• my blog and the people I have 'met' because of it
• food :)
• soy candles
• a reliable car
• freedom

What are you thankful for today?

Why Spring 2012 can't get here fast enough...

I've mentioned before about how we don't exactly live in the nicest neighborhood.
We are both college students whose parents don't pay our rent, we have average jobs, therefore we have to take what we can get.
Our apartment is actually kind of nice [on the inside], we have great neighbors, but the people on the other side of the gas station are sketchy as mess.

Every few weeks this woman comes and knocks on our door AFTER dark and begs for money.
First of all, if you need money THAT bad, come during the day when I can see your face, and I'm not scared that you are going to rob me. [I'm extremely scared of the dark] Second of all, I am a college student and struggle to pay my own bills. I understand that people have it harder than I do, but going around begging people for money on a daily basis is NOT a job. Get out there and try to find a job to support yourself. Part of me feels bad because I should be helping those in need, but then my realist side comes in and reminds me that I can't help someone that can't help themselves.

This morning, I wake up to the sound of talking RIGHT outside of my bedroom window. I look outside to see if it's the maintenance man, but it's not. It's some random guy.
Kami started barking, which is not good. This dog NEVER barks unless she feels like she is in danger [or really has to 'use the bathroom']. I have been paranoid for the last few days that our house was going to get broken into because it's Thanksgiving break. Practically everyone has gone home which makes houses/apartments more vulnerable to break-ins. Every year we hear about people getting robbed blind while they were on break. So I woman-ed up. Put my shoes on, and went outside. I thought for sure this guy was looking for a way to break in my house, and I wasn't going to just lay there and watch. So I open the door and ask the man in a very rude tone WHAT he was doing in my yard. Seriously, he looked like a deer in the headlights. Kami continued not just barking but completely freaking out. The dog who will lick anyone to death, could tell that there was just SOMETHING wrong about this man. He said he was picking up pecans. IN MY YARD. When I asked him why, he said he was going to leave, and sure enough, he left.

I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on in someone's mind that they think it's okay to go into someone else's yard, who they have never met before, and dilly dally around.
Several hours after he left, I took Kami outside. She immediately went to the spot where we saw him and started sniffing. Her tail went between her legs and she ran right back into the house. It took ALL I had to drag her back outside to the other end of the yard for her to do her business.

The whole ordeal really freaked me out.
Have you ever had any creepy experiences like these?

Pretty Girl Rock

...because I needed a little pick me up today, and maybe you do, too.

Show & Tell

A few days ago I received this lovely little package in the mail from Lisa!

It's a necklace charm, a beautiful purple bracelet, and a CUTE little 'pillow' that I'm going to hang right in front of my craft station.
Thanks, Lisa! I love it all.

What did you all get? I'm eager to see. I'm not doing a linky this time because it didn't really go over too well last time, just leave a comment with a link to your post OR a description of your package! IF you haven't got your package yet, NO WORRIES! I've gotten a few emails from people saying they would be late.

Random Life Update

*After almost two years of growing my hair out, I finally decided it was time to chop it all off. So that is what I did.
I'm missing my long hair already.
*Registration for Spring Semester was last week, yet I didn't register because the powers at be STILL have not told me whether I am going to be able to intern or not.
*I miss my friends.
*Aaron showed me how to hook my laptop to the T.V. using the HDMI cable, and it was so exciting to have a 37" computer monitor! haha
*BIG things are happening. More on that later.
*I miss the days when Aaron worked at the movie theater and we would get to see all the new movies BEFORE they came out...for free.
*If I never eat a piece of chicken again, it will be too soon.
*I have a feeling that the holidays this year are just going to seem like any other day.

shameless.

I recently created a facebook fan page for my etsy. I would love for you all to 'like' it!

Home Made With Love

Promote Your Page Too

halloweenie

No Disney Princess

Today, as I was doing a little online shopping, I came across these 'pants'.


At first I thought it was a joke. I mean, it IS almost halloween, so maybe she was pretending to be Aladdin?
Well, guess what? Jokes on me. Apparently these hideous things are called Harem pants, and are SO in right now. I by no means think that I am a fashionista, but what would anyone really find flattering about a saggy crotch? If I have completely missed the boat, will someone fill me in?
What are some crazy fashion trends you've seen lately?


p.s. Don't forget to sign up for November's BMS! Sign up ends tomorrow!

It's that time again!

This month has been SO busy. Between working, crafting, going out of town, and keeping my house clean, I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! Where has the time gone?

Anyways, it's time to sign up for November's Blogger Mail Swap. Last month's BMS went pretty well. There were a few first time mishaps, but nothing that couldn't be worked out.


Here are the guidelines:

1. You have to send a package to get a package.
2. You can put anything that you want in the package, but please let the value be less than $10.
3. You don't have to buy anything for this. You can totally make things if you want!
4. Send package by the posted date. [I will send this in an email]
5. You won't know who you are getting a package from until it arrives. That being said, please don't tell the person you are sending a package to.
6. Please read the blog of the person who you're sending the package to. That's kind of the whole point of this, right? Show each other love.
7. For now, this BMS is limited to U.S. only [sorry, ya'll]
8. Have fun with it! I mean, who doesn't LOVE to get mail?!

To sign up, just leave a comment with your email address in it so I can contact you with further information. Sign up ends Saturday, Oct. 30th.

Also, I've created a button! If you are participating, or have participated, feel free to take it and put it on your blog!!


<br /><a border="0" href="http://jakintheb0x.blogspot.com/p/blogger-mail-swap.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/jaksart/bmsbuttoncopy.jpg" /></a><br />

Craft Fair Winners!

I know you all have been waiting patiently to find out the winners from the craft fair.
So without further ado:

Winner of the Hair Clips from Home made with Love & $5 gift certificate for custom order is:
Hannah!


Winner of the Rockstar card set from Scrapin' Sara's Gifts is:
Natalia!


Winner of $15 gift certificate to Navy Baby Designs is:
Donna!


Winner of $10 gift certificate to Bubbly Shnooks is:
Suzanne!


Winner of a pair of earrings from Forever88 Gifts is:
Cassie!


Winner of a handmade wooden bangle from LVEB is:
By default, Sara!

Winners, PLEASE leave a comment on this post with your email address so that we can contact you with further information.

Congratulations to all the winners and A HUGE thank you goes out to all the crafters who participated as well as everyone who read and commented! Have a great day!

Craft Fair::Day 6

Greetings from Indonesia!

Hi lovelies, I’m Christine from Jakarta, Indonesia. I’m new on etsy shop and I’m so excited running it! ♥ Jamie invited me to announce my new e-shop at her online craft fair, and it’s just beyond great! (Thanks, Jamie! Love you so much!)

About LVEB

Soooo LVEB is my dream come true. I love everything eco friendly and LVEB is the way I prove myself to what I love. Here you can find everything neat, eco friendly, artistic yet culture-high fashion and accessories!

I have two items featured on etsy treasury, which are this:

my fav red top {I hope your's too! ^^} you can find it here and here.

And this:

Batik bangle! you can find it here.

Not only that, I have another fashion items on my shop:

brown pillow dress! This is way too cool! Very neat and lovely to be worn on thanksgiving! ^^

This dress is way too elegant… Hands down.

and hand-batik bangles

Batik wood bangle —you’ll get 2 pieces!

Batik wood bangle

And another batik wood bangle

Can’t wait to have one? We offer a giveaway to a lucky one! Yaaay! ^^

Yessss, the lucky one will get one of my bangles above, which is this one:

Batik wood bangle

This bangle is traditionally painted with batik process along with Indonesian batik motifs, so perfect to be worn with any clothes!

And how to get it? Simply comment this post before Sunday, October 24th, then Jamie & I will pick the winner according to the generator!

Can’t wait to see ur comments, too! Thanks for stopping by on LVEB and looking forward to your purchase on my shop!

Salam, Christine

Craft Fair::Day 5

Hey everyone!
I'm Annahita from forever88 and the newly-opened (aka brand-spanking-new) forever88 gifts. I hope that this little place on the world wide web will turn into someplace where all sorts of people can find gifts for all sorts of people! I currently have some fabulous and fun earrings for sale.



GIVEAWAY: Today I'll be giving away your pick of any earrings in my shop!

To enter just visit forever88 gifts and let me know which item is your favorite!

For an extra entry - follow my blog - forever88!
For another extra entry - heart my shop on Esty (leave your username in the comment).

Thanks so much y'all and enjoy these last few weeks of fall!

Craft Fair::Day 4

Hi there - and happy craft fair! :)

My name is Michelle Clement, and I run a little paper shop called Bubbly Shnooks - mostly goodies for scrapbooking, but I have lots of cheery cards, stickers, art prints, and embroidery patterns, too - and I'm currently about to expand my line to include soft plush toys and crocheted goodness! I've been an avid crafter since I was little - my mom is a quilter and all-around crafty lady, so she had me sewing, painting ceramics, beading, you name it since I was small. I love anything crafty, but I really enjoy sewing, scrapbooking, drawing, embroidery, cross-stitch, and I have recently become obsessed with all things yarn/knit/crochet - especially from vintage patterns! Mostly, I want the things I make to bring a smile to someone's face - mine or a happy customer's - with their cute, cheery little faces!


I myself, am getting ready for my first real-life few craft fairs this upcoming holiday season and I'm *so excited*! There's something so lovely & fun about making away like an elf for a few weeks, gathering cute display items, making my handmade goodies pretty with gathered supplies, and hoping they find new homes with fellow handmade-goodness lovers. I really really love them to bits - and shopping at them, especially! I'm still trying to figure out how to Christmas shop while vending at the fairs I'm doing this year...lol.

At holiday craft fairs, I like to shop for Christmas cards and ornaments, specifically, around the holidays - for years and years I used to collect or make a bunch of the same kind of ornament for everyone I gave a gift to, and it was different every year (so over the years they end up having a mini collection of ornaments from me, and I have the same). When I'm searching for the perfect little holiday thing at a craft fair, I always look for something cute that has an unexpected/new element about it - and that's usually by way of color, for me.

I really really love bright, happy colors - so I love an unexpected Christmas color combination (that goes above and beyond the typical red, white & green) - like pink and yellow, or bright pastel colors that somehow still have a holiday feel to them. Not to mention the untypical ornaments I love - the quirkier the better! I'd definitely hang a cute moustached man on the branches of my tree (in fact, I keep one on my wall year round!), or use fun stickers & tags to spruce up the outside of a gift I'm giving.

I hope next time you're milling around the craft fair you'll look for unexpected colors to grace your home or presents this holiday season, too, because they sure bring cheeriness and fun to the holidays - and there's so much more out there than just red & green! And if you can't find any fun new holiday colors or moustached men for your tree, stop by Bubbly Shnooks' table! :)

Thanks so much for having me at your craft fair, Jamie & Heart Homemade!
Happy upcoming-holidays, everyone!

Giveaway: $10 gift certificate for Bubbly Shnooks - can be used toward anything your heart desires in the shop

To enter, visit my shop and leave a comment on this post on this blog with your favorite item.

The gift certificate giveaway is open internationally - anyone can enter - and will be sent over to them via a gift certificate code that they can redeem with me via Etsy.

Blog: www.michelleclement.typepad.com/blog
Shop: www.bubblyshnooks.etsy.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michellealynn

Craft Fair::Day 3

Hi everyone! I'm Cassie from Southern Domestic Goddess and I recently opened my Etsy shop Navy Baby Designs! I sell custom tutus and appliques and I hope to add more to the shop soon.


My Grand Opening sale is still going on and all of my tutus and tutu costumes are currently priced 10% off! This includes custom orders.

My bestsellers so far are the Ghost Tutu Costume and the Red and Black tutu.



I can make a tutu in any size and any color or color combination that you can think of!


GIVEAWAY: Today I am giving away a $15 gift certificate to my shop! You can use it on one of the items already listed OR message me about creating a custom item just for your little one!


To enter just visit Navy Baby Designs and let me know which item is your favorite!

For an extra entry- "like" Navy Baby Designs on Facebook!

For another extra entry- heart my shop on Etsy (leave your username in the comment).

Craft Fair::Day 2

While I think most of Jamie's readers know me through my blog, some of you newbies probably don't. My name is Sara and I'm awesome. I also share my awesome with the world at my blog- Sara's Organized Chaos but I also make stuff. That's right- you can own a little piece of my awesome! Lucky duck. My Etsy shop is called ScrapinSara's Gifts because I'm scrappy and my name is Sara. So clever I am...

But I got started in scrapbooking about ten years ago and have gradually become addicted to paper and ribbon. I'm not ashamed to say I own paper and ribbon because it's pretty and I have no plans to use it. I have done cards and scrapbooks for friends and family for the last few years for some extra money but started my Etsy shop almost two years ago. I don't have the time or the resources to really promote my shop like some hardcore shops are doing so I am mostly word of mouth. I like making things for people and I put a lot of time into all of my projects.

The big thing with me is that I really believe you need to put some effort into gifts. I really dislike it when people just put something in a gift bag because it feels half assed and where's the fun in that? I support Etsy shops because you know what you are giving someone is handmade, it's going to be unique, and it shows you put some thought into it. But I am also a big mail sender. I'm pretty sure I alone am keeping the post office in my town going. I am sending cards and handwritten notes to friends and family all of the time, with or without reason. I think the coolness of a handwritten note is still there...it's just that people have gotten lazy. But if you have a cool card you are more inclined to use it. Which is why you should BUY MY STUFF. That and you'll be infinitely cooler because you did.

I am available for custom orders of cards, invitations, treat and favor bags/boxes, gifts, customized picture frames, scrapbooks, etc- contact me directly at slinkies_r_us@hotmail.com or through Etsy conversation. Every purchase comes with extra goodies from my own stash AND you have the satisfaction of knowing my kids get to eat another day. :)

Give away:
A set of 6 'Rock Star' cards

Craft Fair::Day 1

I am happy to announce that this week I am hosting a craft fair on my blog. Each day will feature a new blogger who will talk about their craft and also host a give away. On Sunday, winners from each give away will be picked and posted here on my blog.

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As you all know by now, I am an artist. Lately, though, I have been crafting a lot. That is actually what inspired this whole craft fair idea.
I've been making headbands, hairclips, and brooches

but just recently started making aprons, as well.


While most of my stuff can be found in my etsy shop, I am more than happy to do custom orders.

I am giving away a set of hair clips
and a $5 gift certificate towards a custom order.

To enter:
*Leave a comment telling me your favorite item in my store.

For extra entries:
*Post on your blog [or tweet] about this craft fair and leave your link in a comment.
*Become a follower of my blog.

Giveaway ends 10/23/2010

Come back tomorrow for a new featured blogger!!