I ♥ Heartsy!

{Photo Credit}

Warning, this could become addicting!!!

Have you heard of Heartsy?

I hadn't until this morning, and now I'm hooked.

Great handmade items from Etsy at drastically discounted prices?  Impossibly wonderful.

Heartsy is sort of like Groupon, or Zulily where they work with certain companies

(or in Heartsy's case, artists & crafters on Etsy)

to offer deals on great products and services. 

The deals are limited in time and/or quantity, so either check back daily to see the new partnerships, or subscribe to the service's emails so you don't miss out on something great.

Here are some of today's vouchers I love from Heartsy:

{Pay only $13 for $35 store credit at the Anderson Soap Company}

{Pay only $10 to spend $30 on photography or handmade jewelry at Little Fever}

{Pay only $16 for $40 credit on handmade baby outerwear, loungewear, gifts and decor @ Nutmeg Tree}

{Pay only $10 for $35 credit at Hope Loves Cards}

I purchased this deal today, I'll share what I decide to purchase with it!

In order to get your discounts, you have to visit Heartsy and purchase the voucher, then visit the Etsy shop you chose and go shop!

When you checkout with the Etsy seller, choose "other" for payment type, then provide your voucher code in the "notes to seller" space provided.  It's easy!

Happy Shopping!!!

♥ 

A Wonderful Holiday GIVEAWAY!

Just in time for Christmas, I am very excited to

announce a giveaway!

Introducing Ellies Pretty Things.

♥

If you have a daughter, niece, friend, or love to wear pretty accessories in your hair yourself,

you are sure to find something you love!

The Etsian behind Ellies Pretty Things is Olga,

who lives in Sydney, Australia.

Ellies Pretty Things is inspired by Olga's daughter Ellie.  Ellie was born with a full head of hair and from the time she was a little baby she would let Olga put it back for her. She is a real girly girl and Olga has always been quite creative so she started making clips for her. Ellie is very into her pretties!  Other people began asking about them and it started from there!

What I like about the items that she makes is that she doesn't ever make a lot of anything. Her pieces are either OOAK or very small runs. Olga likes the whole ethos of hand making items. She tries to use local suppliers where she can and smaller suppliers if she can't get local. She is a big fan of supporting WAHP or parents like her who work and create in their "down time", what ever that means when you have an 18 month old!

One lucky reader will win a $30 (USD) gift certificate to Olga's shop!!!

To Enter:

1. Visit Ellies Pretty Things and leave a comment on this post about your favorite items from her shop. 

Please be sure to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner. 

Additional Entry Options:

{Each entry must be left as a separate comment!}

2. Follow this blog and leave me a comment on this post letting me know.

3. "Heart" Ellies Pretty Things on Etsy.

4. "Like" Ellies Pretty Things on Facebook.

5.  Follow Ellies Pretty Things on Twitter.

5. Tweet or blog about this giveaway and leave a link in your comment.

Giveaway Info:

This Giveaway is open Worldwide! 

Items are coming from Australia so they will be shipped International Post. 

Prize is for a $30 (USD) gift certificate to Olga's shop, excluding shipping. 

Giveaway ends on Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 10 PM CST. 

One winner will be chosen randomly from all valid entries.

The winner will then be emailed, and must respond within 48 hours or I will choose a new winner. 

Even if you don't win (or if you can't wait until the contest is over!), you can make a purchase from Ellie's Pretty Things and enter coupon code XMAS2010 at checkout to recieve 15% off all purchases!

Happy Mother's Day! {AND, a Giveaway!!!!}

I wish you a wonderful Mother's Day!

♥♥♥

Pictured, clockwise from left:

1.  Gypsy Mom by Kimberly Dow

2. Biodh ceolna mara ag bualadh i do chroi by Loime Studios 

3. Mother Baby by Sascalia 

4.  Crush by Katie M. Berggren

To celebrate, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite quotes on parenting:

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. ~William D. Tammeus

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.

I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I’d do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from “If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again”

What's done to children, they will do to society. ~Karl Menninger

Your children need your presence more than your presents. ~Jesse Jackson

The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. ~Lane Olinghouse

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. ~Roger Lewin

If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves. ~C.G. Jung, Integration of the Personality, 1939

No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings. ~Hodding Carter, Jr.

Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.-- Lin Yutang

* * * * *

To celebrate Mother's Day, I am having my very first giveaway!

The prize is an 8x10 print of your choice of any photograph from my Etsy Shop.

To enter, simply leave any comment for this post.

***If you would like extra entries, you may do any of the following:***

1.  Blog about the giveaway and provide a link in the comment section.

2.  Tell me your favorite memory of your Mother.

3.  Comment about your most valuable lesson as a Mother.

4.  Leave me your favorite quote about Parenthood.

5.  Tweet about the giveaway or announce it on your Facebook page.

6.  Visit my Etsy Shop and tell me your favorite item from the shop.
7.  Become a follower of my blog (if you are already a follower this counts too!)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Contest closes at 11:59 PM CST onWednesday night.

Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Thursday morning.

My photograph made the front page today! 

♥

Thank you to Un Petit Reve by TippyToesKnits!

I would also like to thank therickrackstudio and AZCreativeStudio for including my photographs in their lovely blogs.  You can also visit their Etsy shops here and here.

Featured Seller Interview: Emmamaha

I am excited to share with you that I have conducted my very own Featured Seller Interview! 

Please meet Emmamaha. 

I chose Maha to interview first because she is incredibly talented (I personally own several items from her shop), my girls LOVE her hair clips (which says something because they pull just about everything else out within minutes), and my experiences with Maha, the shop owner, have always been inspiring and well, lovely.  Maha uses felt and other materials to create pretty accessories for your child, yourself, and your home.  In her own words, her creations are influenced by nature, simple design, composition, color and texture. She imbues a little bit of romance in everything she makes.

The small glimpse into her shop in the photo above features:
1. The Cora, (upper left). 2. Caravan to Petra Barrettes/ Hair Clips, (upper right).  4. Festive Beaded Felt and Lace Ornaments, (lower left). 5. Magenta Dahlia Earrings, (lower right). 6. The Neriah, (center).

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, my name is Maha and you can find me puttering behind the scenes in my accessories shop Emmamaha. I am a mom to a precocious 3 year old named Emma who keeps me on my toes! I spend my days making sure Emma sticks to a balanced schedule while trying to squeeze in some Etsy time at least for a few hours a day. In those late night hours, after Emma goes to sleep, I like to paint, craft, and make treasuries. I am so grateful for Etsy and the distraction it allows me to be creative everyday, in my life.

How would you describe yourself in three words.

Introverted, exhausted, and cautious.

What inspires you?

Oh, that one's easy: Emma. I became a Mom and my earth shifted. I would never have thought to open an Etsy store if it weren't for Emma. I've been making things and painting since I was a skinny kid in middle school. Emma set me in focus. I am also inspired by all my Etsy counterparts. There is amazing talent and imagination out there. I love how it breeds this wonderful artistic community where we all inspire each other to look at things in a different way and are better crafters and artists and people for it.

What are some of your favorite books, movies, musicians?

Uh-oh. Do you have a few hours?! I have a B.A in English Literature. I love to read! My current attempts are (and it is so hard to actually stay with a book with a an active 3 year old running circles around me) but I am trying (emphasis on trying) to read:

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco

How to Behave so Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Dr. Sal Severe

A Collection of Dr. Suess

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Movies:

All the old ones. I was raised on black and white movies.

Anything with Katherine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Carol Lombard, Deborah Kerr, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant.

Nowadays I'll see anything with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Johnny Depp, Cate Blanchette, Ryan Gosling or Patricia Clarkson.

Music is also one of my loves and I love everything, but mostly alternative:

The Shins, Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Nirvana, Kings of Leon, Green Day, Gnarls Barkley, Jeff Buckley, R.E.M, Ryan Adams..and by the way this is me just easing you into it!

Some things that might surprise us about you are....?

I am a vegetarian.

I don't look good with make-up. Save for the occasional lip tint, I avoid it. I look like a clown otherwise.

I speak English, (some) French and Arabic

I used to be a teacher.

I am freakishly OCD about grey hairs and I have to get them all out.

I've traveled through most of Europe. My Dad traveled for his work and took us every summer to all the places he'd been to! I've been to France, Switzerland, Greece, Rhodes, Austria, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia, back then). Hopefully, I'll manage to save enough someday to take Emma to a few of those places:)

If you could have anyone over to dinner, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

No one alive interests me at the moment, though with Alan Greenspan, I'd like to pick his brain a little. I would love to have Eleanor Roosevelt and T.S. Elliot. And you had a question about famous quotes I like. 
Several of them were from Eleanor Roosevelt:

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Any guilty pleasures?

Oh yes! I reward myself after a long day with chocolate cake, black forest preferably. And if anyone from Europe is reading this, since it is a staple there: I love Marrons Glaces. They are chestnuts, that were already shelled and cooked in rich sugar. They end up being fragrant, flaky and just melt in your mouth. So yummy (and I'm drooling right now). I also love Dancing with the Stars. I rearrange my whole week just to catch the show!

Thank you Maha, for sharing a little of yourself with us. 
Have you visited Emmamaha? Please say yes and go back again! 

(Oh, and check out her sold section for more of her lovely creations!  Most of her treasurable, dreamy dress-up crowns for little ones are here.  But don't fret, she'll make more if you ask her to!)

blog: http://emmaandmaha.blogspot.com/
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmaandmaha/
twitter: http://twitter.com/emmamaha

Some treasuries to share....

Slate, by me.

Elegance, by emeeme. 

My Stack of Teacups photo is among beautiful company.

New in the shop today!

New in the Shop today....  Pink Gerbera Daisy Photograph Series. 

Front Page!

Just a little note to say thank you to Etsy for putting my photograph on the front page today, and to Emmamaha who spotted it and sent me a message to let me know.

♥

My Latest Front Page Treasury!

Natural and Nontoxic Wooden Toys

Okay, I know, I'm an Etsy addict. But, I just love the selection of personally crafted, carefully handmade, wonderfully creative items for children that Etsy provides!!! My latest love is the natural and non-toxic wooden toys that you can find on there. I just think that the feel of wood over plastic makes the work so much more "important" feeling, you know? Not that my house is plastic free- it isn't!!! But, if I have the choice, I go with natural, hands down.

One of my favorite Early Childhood activities is sorting. There are endless ways you can sort things- by colors, textures, smells, materials, size, shape, and on! I just love giving my children a group of objects and observing them as they come up with their own ways to sort. I'm always pleasantly surprised when they think of a way to sort that hadn't crossed my mind.

This is also one of my favorite activites because it is easily completed cooperatively or alone, and it is simple, inexpensive, and easy to prepare.
Gather together a group of objects, easily customizable to any theme, holiday, season, or lesson, and a place to sort! The place to sort can be mats, bowls, a muffin pan, circular hoops laid on the floor, boxes, or even just under header cards in columns. Oriental Trading is a wonderful place to purchase inexpensive sorting materials. They have just about any theme you can think of, and you can purchase in quantities that allow you to sort and resort without abandon! :) We have their Mini Insect Erasers, and these are a favorite for my children to sort.

I love using sorting as a great activity to keep them occupied at the table while you fix a meal- just hand them a bag and some bowls, and let them sort away! Another one of my favorites is button sorting! I love vintage buttons, and if you don't have a collection of your own, you can purchase collections of them many places, including Ebay. Or, you can go to Walmart and purchase a lovely package of assorted buttons in many colors, shapes, and sizes in their sewing and crafts department for just a few dollars. As always, monitor your children during this activity and choose age appropriate materials.

So now you can see why I just love this product from Wee Wood! It combines my enthusiasm for sorting activities with my passion for handmade, natural toys. :)
This Large set of 5 bowls, includes 1 bowl (and 1 scoop in each bowl) of each: hearts, mushrooms,spools, stars and apples. Each bowl painted in 5 primary colors with nontoxic paint and sealed with a nontoxic and hypoallergenic sealant.
How much fun would your little one have with these? It is one of those toys where they are having too much fun playing to realize they are learning!! And as a bonus, they are also great for scooping and pouring, counting, whatever you (and your little one!) can imagine.
Please visit the rest of their store, too, as they have many other lovely products for your child. Happy shopping!

My Newest Treasury!

If you get the chance, please visit our newest Treasury on Etsy.
I just love it, it has "me" written all over it.
I titled it "Simply Romantic".

Wouldn't these be lovely?

If you have children old enough to tackle sewing pillows or other simple projects, these would be lovely additions to their sewing boxes/baskets. Pretty enough to engage them, while encouraging them to take care of their materials! These little birdies are practical as well as super cute!
This Little Birdie Sewing Pin Set is sold by Piece of Peace on Etsy.com.
You can find this precious pin set here.
Be sure to check out the rest of their items for sale too!

Since I've been gone......

So sorry, I know I have been absolutely terrible about blogging lately. But, I have a good excuse. I've been busy in my Etsy shop AddieDesigns, with graphic design work! This is really a surprise to me, as I didn't open the store with this in mind, but I have several happy customers now, and over 15 sales in our Etsy store!
It is time consuming work, so I've temporarily lost my focus on this blog, but I promise to be back soon!!!!

Wonderful Vacation!!!

We had a wonderful week-long holiday at the beach. I hope you all had a safe 4th of July weekend, and I'm excited to return to posting (and catching up on all of your blogs!).

By the way, my little one is wearing a dress I made- soon to be offered in different fabrics in my Etsy shop!
I guess it doubles as a swimsuit, too! :)

Introducing Languages and Geography through Cloth Books

I found this great Etsy shop while browsing around the other day. The name of the shop is called ex libris handmade. The store offers many different quilted and hand sewn products, but my favorite are the cloth books. While any book is great for a child of course, I have always felt that children take a special interest in cloth books. And, each of these cloth books are a unique work of handmade art.

My favorite is the one pictured above, the Yes/No language cloth book. It features a different language on each page, and with embroidery and simple cloth backgrounds introduces children to the ways to say "yes" and "no" in many different languages. What a great first exposure! The texture of the embroidery and the different cloths are sure to feel rich and engaging to a young child's hands. The languages included are French, Russian, German, Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic. Plus, you have the bonus of no chomped-on book corners from young toddlers, and simply throw it in the washing machine when it needs cleaned. I just may have to purchase one of these!!

My other favorite is this Earth Cloth Book. This cloth book is really inventive, and I love the hand sewn illustrations for the geographic vocabulary. The word EARTH is spelled out over the 5 pages through the use of 5 geographic terms, while demonstrating the meaning of the Earth on the cover, the Equator, the Arctic, river, trees, and horizon.

I just love the products at this store, and I hope you all will check it out for your young child!