Snuggies: Warm, Comfortable, Deadly? (Wordless Wednesday)

Warning - contains brief tushie nudity.

Late Line Special Report - Snuggies: Warm, Comfortable, Deadly? - watch more funny videos

I Want It

As you might imagine, fairies are very important around here. My daughter's favorite movie (by a long shot) is Tinkerbell, she has a fairy door in her room, and she wears wings several times a week. As I'm contemplating a "big girl" redesign of her room for her fourth birthday this summer, this series of prints by Angel's Hair is providing lots of inspiration.



You can get them here. And check out the Angel's Hair blog here.

Featured Artisan -- White Mouse Design/Turnaround Design

This week's featured artisan is Shannon Whealy of White Mouse Designs (printables) and Turnaround Designs (greeting cards). A fellow EtsyGreetings member, Shannon creates wonderfully whimsical printable paper goods and recycled greeting cards.

Tell me a little bit about you and what you do.
For the past 12 years, I've been a freelance graphic designer. I've been a stay at home mom to two boys for seven of those years as well. It has been a journey to arrive at White Mouse Design on Etsy, but I'm so glad to be here! I've been creating my own personal cards for years, and I'm finally able to focus my graphics business on it. It's a dream come true!

Printable cards and stationery are uniquely thrifty. They are designed by me and sent to the customer in a digital file. Then, the customer supplies the paper and ink, and prints them out on his/her own desktop printer. This way, there is no limit to the number that can be created.


What 3 words best describe your work?
simple, modern, whimsical

What inspires you?
Currently, I'm really inspired by the 70's. I was a little girl during that time, and I find that in these hectic and uncertain times, it's comforting to think about the simplicity of that era, and also the carefreeness of childhood.

What drives you to create what you do?
I was born with a passion to create! It runs in my family. I am also feeling the effects of this economy, and being able to offer a card or gift to have in a pinch at a low cost is important to me.

What makes your work unique?
It is a way for the customer to actively participate in the handmade movement. Also, there aren’t many products you can buy at an unlimited quantity.


What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
My work gives me something that's just mine. In a busy family, as a working and sometimes overworked mom, this is so important. I want it to continue to fill my cup, so to speak.



How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
In the next five years, I plan to grow my business into a full-time job. Currently, I have plans to expand my printables into invitations, party favors, wall art and calling cards, with a focus on children’s items. Being self-employed allows me be available for my kids, and I feel very fortunate to be in this business!

Where can we find you on the web?
PRINTABLES SHOP: www.whitemousedesign.etsy.com
CARD SHOP: www.turnarounddesign.etsy.com
BLOG: www.turnarounddesign.blogspot.com
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/turnaroundart
WEB: www.turnarounddesign.com


Are you an artist or craftsperson? Would you like to be featured here? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment here with a link to your shop, and I'll be in touch about future opportunities.

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Speed Racer,

Like the picture? This is the view I have most often of you these days. You are on the move! We had a nice week. It's warm outside now but not too hot, so we're able to run and ride and climb and play before summer hits and we get stuck inside.

Monday morning you arrived downstairs toting a plastic pith helmet filled with your stuffed puppies and singing me a good morning song. Lately you're pretty much singing all the time. You make up your own songs ("Rock Star Village" is my favorite) sometimes, and other times you just add words to classical music or change the words to another song. Even when you're not singing, you're humming - our very own little music box! Monday night you found a connect-the-dots puzzle in one of your books and did it all by yourself. I was really proud of you - it went all the way to 35. Nice job!

I got the giggles Tuesday after preschool when your teacher asked me if I had eight kids. Apparently you guys were making a family tree, and you insisted on adding your "seven brothers and sisters." Silly! I love it that you're such a good pretender, but it's important to tell grown-ups when you're just pretending, OK?

On Wednesday, we had a chance to play together for a long time. You made up lots of cool games like "monster cats," "campout on a boat on an island," and a great big "Mexican feast" for me and your puppies. It's really fun to just sit back and see where you go with your games. Those times are some of my favorite times together. Later, I taught you to play Uno. Little did I know it would become your favorite game. You picked it up really quickly, and were REALLY excited to skip me and make draw cards. We've played every day since!

Thursday we were all about arts and crafts. You made some secret Mother's Day stuff and drew some really awesome pictures of me and Daddy. I didn't even know I could drive a bus or conduct a train! You had a super great new song called "It's OK if You're Afraid of Bugs," and you made a really pretty painting that you said would be "very expensive." I don't think you have too much of a problem with self-esteem, my friend.

Friday you walked backwards on the balance beam for the first time at your gymnastics class - nice job! You had an ice cream date with your grandma and grandpa, which you absolutely loooooove. When Grandma Tiny came to pick you up, you took your Big Wheel, just in case you needed to "solve emergencies." Always be prepared, right?

I love you, sweet girl. Looking forward to another week of fun!

Sincerely,
Mommy

Great Gift Idea for Mom, Grads and Teachers!

Just in time for those spring gift-giving occasions, I present a few new personalized blank note sets from my Freshly Crafted line. These boxed sets are perfect for Mom, for the graduate headed off to school, or to show your appreciation to a special teacher. Take a peek:


The "Susan" Note - $12 per boxed set of eight


The "Linda" Note - $12 per boxed set of eight


The "Kelly" Note - $12 per boxed set of eight

These styles, plus three of my greeting cards for Mother's Day will be available at special prices tomorrow night at Artiste's last stocking for April.

If you're new to Artiste or to HyenaCart, you're in for a treat. Artiste brings you a wide variety of gorgeous, eco-friendly, handcrafted goodness, all made for you with love by a work-at-home mama. All of our listings go live at 9:00 PM sharp, so be sure to scope out your favorites in advance and be there on time to pounce. Fair warning - the best stuff goes fast!

Featured EtsyBlogger -- Two Zany Zebras

Congrats to this month's featured EtsyBlogger, "Mama Z" of Two Zany Zebras. A stay-at-home mom from Southern California, Mama Z offers super cute kids' clothes and accessories featuring the "Zarkles," wacky and whimsical little kid-friendly creatures, in her Etsy shop. In her own words:

I am a SAHM of two silly zany kids. They keep me busy and on the brink of insanity. I am trying to find a balance between kids, husband, self, housework, scrapbooking, sewing, and selling things on etsy. I love being with family, having fun, the outdoors, and being creative.

Check out the Two Zany Zebras blog to learn more about this adorable, crafty family. Congrats to Mama Z for this well-deserved honor. Enjoy your month of EtsyBloggers fame!

Wordless Wednesday

Absolutely Hilarious Bathroom Mirror Prank - Watch more Pranks

I Want It

Don't you just want to reach in and touch it? The appeal of this gorgeous piece by Aussie designer Annette Piper, for me, is completely tactile - I can just feel the weight of the stones, the smoothness against my skin, and the little chill I'd get when I first put it on. Plus I'm loving this color for the ultra-hot Texas summer that's just around the corner. Obsessed? Yeah, a little.

Get it (or buy it for me) here. And be sure to also check out Annette's blog, Under the Loupe.

Featured Artisan -- Nicole’s Homemade Treats

Yum! This delicious-looking homemade granola is brought to you by this week's featured artisan, Nicole of Nicole's Homemade Treats. A fellow Fabulous Artistic Mom, Nicole offers delicious all natural treats to satisfy any craving.

Tell me a little bit about you and what you do.
My name is Nicole and I am a stay at home mom of two young boys< Zachary (6) and Gabriel (2). They bring the most joy and most irritation into my life, and I love them dearly!

I love to make candy, bake and cook in general, but candy making is my outlet. It gives me time to relax and be creative. I can use materials that I love to eat and mix them to make great tasting products.


What 3 words best describe your work?
Decadent/Enjoyable/Tasty

What drives you to create what you do?
The thing that inspires me to make great tasting candy/granola is my love of sharing my products with others who will enjoy eating them as much as I enjoy making them!

What inspires you?
Good food!

What makes your work unique?
My candies/granola are handmade using as many organic products as I can. The do not contain any preservatives and are all natural.


What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
My work gives me a creative outlet: one where I can relax and reduce my stress. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I make a sale and see how much somebody enjoys my product. I would like to eventually own a small shop where I can sell my products and earn a small income off of them.

Where can we find you on the web?
Shop: http://nikid.etsy.com


Are you an artist or craftsperson? Would you like to be featured here? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment here with a link to your shop, and I'll be in touch about future opportunities.

Dear Kid Saturday (Just a Teensy Bit Late)

Just one day behind schedule this weekend. Not so bad, right? I've been doing so much writing lately that I've not spent much time playing with new stationery designs. Yesterday was aaaaaaaalll about designing. Look for pics later this week!

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Sweetcheeks,

Yeah, yeah, I know - it's not nice to call you names, but I can't stop, so there! We're having a pretty fun weekend, huh? Last night we let you ride around the neighborhood on your Big Wheel until after dark while we trailed along behind on foot. Gonna have to get some bikes so we can keep up with you! It's fun to see you embracing the speed and freedom that goes along having your own set of wheels. We bought you the Big Wheel for your third birthday last August, but you weren't really able to ride it very well until recently (that pedaling skill is hard to master huh?). Now you can go up and down hills and ride waaaaaaaaaaaay out in front of us. From the way you giggle and squeal when you're really going fast, it's clear that you're having a blast. You do a great job of stopping at every corner and alleyway, and looking both ways before you go forward - I'm so proud of you. Pretty soon you won't even need me and Daddy along on your rides... but I'm not ready to think about that yet!

The Easter bunny brought you the "Tinkerbell" movie, so we naturally had to watch it Monday morning. You're really into trying to understand the message behind books and movies lately, so you told me how sad it was that Tinkerbell didn't want to be the type of fairy she was supposed to be. You said, "She should just be herself, right, Mom?" We had a great conversation about not trying to be something you're not. Now if only I can remember to break the "Tinkerbell" movie out when you're in high school...

You had your very first big-kid field trip with preschool on Tuesday to a local farm, and you were EXCITED about it. When I picked you up, I heard more about the ride on the school bus than anything else, but oh well. You did report to Daddy that sometimes animals mistake kids' fingers for carrots. Sounds like somebody in your class learned that lesson the hard way! Then Daddy pretended to be a goat and chased you around trying to nibble your carrot fingers while you screamed and giggled. You guys are super silly.

Both Wednesday and Thursday nights we got to take Big Wheel rides before dinner. Now that the weather's nice (before it gets crazy Texas hot anyway), this might be our new late afternoon ritual. We've been hitting the playground most days too, and you're able to do some amazing stuff this year! It's great to be able to get outside together again, and to do something that's good for our bodies. You tend to like activities that are more "thinky," like puzzles and pretend games. But it's important for us to remember to get our bodies moving every day and get the fresh air we need. Plus, with a little practice at climbing and riding, you get stronger and faster every day!

Your gymnastics class on Friday was fun as usual. You're very focused and a good listener, and you're making lots of big improvements. This summer, you're going to have a gymnastics day-camp a few days a week, and I can't wait to see how you like it. I always wanted to be good at gymnastics, but never was. So far, you have your Daddy's flexibility, so maybe you'll have his coordination too.

I love you so much, sweet girl. Can't wait to see what this week has in store for us.

Sincerely,
Mommy

I Want It

Let it never be said that I don't enjoy some sparkle now and then. What I do require, though, is a tasteful, simple design - from there, bring on the bling. That's why I positively adore the "Glitter All the Way" bracelet by Always Wired Bead Lady. Both understated and impossible to ignore, this gorgeous piece is the perfect accompaniment to a simple dress. Love it.

You can get it here. And check out the Always Wired blog here.

Wordless Wednesday

EtsyGreetings Mother's Day Promo

Mother's Day is May 10th! This year, show your mom that you care enough to send handmade. The EtsyGreetings Etsy team is offering FREE SHIPPING on Mother's Day cards from April 13th through May 5th. To find them, search Etsy for the tag "EGMOM."

This year, my Freshly Crafted shop is the place to find that special handmade card for your one-of-a-kind mom. Here's a peek:






Get free shipping on any Mother's Day card in my shop through May 5th. And don't forget to check out my Retrocrafted shop for some great gift ideas for Mom, from personalized stationery to pretty blank note sets.

Featured Artisan -- NickAnny Creations

Tell me a little about yourself and what you do.
I live in Oklahoma City, OK and I have been sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandmother taught me, and she could make a pattern for anything just looking at it! I make bags and purses and soaps. I love to sew, it is very calming to me and relaxes me. It makes me feel especially great when my daughter asks me to make something for her - such as a small purse. I make most of the items on the weekend, except for the soap. Because it's cold process soap, I make it on Friday's when the kiddo's are at school and I am home from work. I have two wonderful children and "the best" husband a gal could ask for!

What 3 words best describe your work?
Simple, fun, functional

What inspires you?
I travel a lot so I am inspired by trying to find something that is interesting but useful. I have bags that are for carrying an overnight's worth of stuff, and I have bags that are for cosmetics. I am working on a shoe bag and a clothing storage bag that would be for men or women. I am inspired every time I walk into the fabric store by all of the gorgeous cotton material on the wall, and I instantly think of what I can make from it! I make the soap because I just love using it at home and it keeps my skin from needing so much lotion! And I can use it on my kids and control what's going on their body!


What drives you to create what you do?
I was inspired when I checked out the book "Bend The Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol. I thought, man, I can do that stuff. So I bought the book and started making the items in there. Then I had a couple of friends start a candle business, so I have sent my items with them to craft shows. I want to make my stuff enough that I can create a pattern for it, and other people can make it as well. I read lots of books on pattern making and sewing that I check out from the library, as well as books on small business and how to be successful. I am doing this because I love it, and I want it to become my signature.

What makes your work unique?
My work is unique because I take the items I see out in the world for travel and purses and I change them so they work for me. My needs, like lots of moms, are related to being able to stuff a lot of items in a bag and go somewhere, but also washable so if or when something spills I can clean the bag! My soap is unique because I thoroughly plan what oils I will use, and what color and fragrance. For example, I am working on a red, white and blue soap for the summer with an apple pie scent!

What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
Right now, as a new owner and entrepreneur, it is part of the evening and weekend life that I have. I would love to have it play a stronger role in our family income and provide a source of support so I can become a CEO of a successful and profitable company.



How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
As the business grows, with more shops and boutiques featuring my works, I expect to begin to spend less time actually sewing but more time being the creative source for the products. I would continue to experiment and develop my own patterns, but hire local persons to make some of the items so I could continue to grow the business. My husband helps me with plans, and even wraps soaps - and we have a plan for the next five years to grow this business.

Where can we find you on the web?
Etsy: www.nickanny.etsy.com
Artfire: www.nickanny.artfire.com
Blog: www.nickannycreations.blogspot.com

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear Jane Doe,

I don't know what to call you anymore since you've officially banned all forms of "name-calling" around here, including "sweetie, honey, chickadee, girlie girl, tootsie roll" and all my other favorites. Apparently it doesn't matter if I think they're nice names, you've decided it's not OK. I'm really hoping this is only a temporary measure, since I hardly ever call ANYONE by their actual name. I'm not even allowed to call Daddy "babe." This could become quite the challenge.

We had a pretty nice week despite the fact that I had some kind of horrible cold-like virus thingy that made me grumpy and kept you stuck inside. On Monday I was still feeling healthy and we did lots of pretending. You spent the early morning riding around on a broomstick horse wearing a cowboy hat, a prom princess sash, your white gloves and lots of red lipstick. You told me you were a super-cowgirl and that "even cowgirls have to look beautiful." In the afternoon you grabbed your "life saber" and told me not to worry because you were "tall and brave against any bugs that come in the house." Wow! I didn't even know bugs were an issue! Apparently we should "scare them to the South Pole." Sure am glad we have you around for that.

Tuesday and Wednesday were my sick days. You were pretty nice to Mama, considering. You definitely thought I was pretty boring, but you sang me some great made-up songs to help me feel better and you even made me a card. You played a cool secret agent game Wednesday night that was pretty fascinating, and luckily didn't require me to get off the couch. I appreciated your patience with me, sweetie. (Oops, there I go again - sorry!)

On Thursday I was feeling better and we played games after preschool. You're really into your "Littlest Pet Shop" game on the Wii. I love seeing what you name your new pets. This time you named them "Nosehead," "Bermit," "Basket," "Treehouse," and "Foot." Nice! We also played "Guess Who?" again. I used to play that game with my sisters when I was a kid, and I think it's pretty cool that you understand how to play. It's all about asking yes/no questions and using process of elimination to figure out the other person's secret. Watching you think through your questions is really fun - I like seeing your little wheels turn as you figure new things out.

At your gymnastics class on Friday, you surprised everybody by walking on the balance beam all by yourself. Your teacher started to take your hand, but you said, "I can do it myself this time," and you did! The look on your face was priceless - you were SO proud of yourself. I was really proud to see so much confidence. Nice work!

I love you, Jane Doe. Can't wait to see what fun you have in store for me this week!

Sincerely,
Mommy

A Feature and a Shout-out

A big giant thank you to Heather of Maternal Spark for featuring me as today's Creative Mom. It was a super fun interview - all about my creative inspirations, making time to be creative, and the creativity I can already see in my daughter. Check it out here.

My blog has taken a backseat to my freelance projects this week, but I wanted to give a quick shout-out to this week's featured Creative Blogger, Heather of Heather's Ramblings and Heather Designs. Heather is hot glass artist, jewelry designer, and oil painter.


For a limited time, Heather's offering 15% off in her Artfire shop.

Are you a creative blogger? The Creative Bloggers Blog Ring is all about paying it forward - supporting other creative people through blogging. You can get involved here.

Worldess Wednesday - How'd They Do That?!

Stuff I Love - Green Edition

April 22nd is Earth Day, and this week's EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival is dedicated to all things green. As you may know, I went green for 2009 with the introduction of 100% post-consumer cardstocks and envelopes for both my Retrocrafted and Freshly Crafted paper goods lines. I also make every effort to work with eco-friendly suppliers, primarily The Paper Mill Store, which uses 100% wind power in all of its facilities.

In celebration of Earth Day, today I'm showcasing some of my (literally!) green Etsy faves.


3 Trees Dish by the brick kiln


Longevity terrarium by Warm Country Meadows


Absinthe photo charm bracelet by poetsummer


Green tea loofah soap by fresh & clean soaps


Earth spirals linocut by Studio 27


Woodlands earrings by Polished

Featured Artist -- Hearts and Laserbeams

This week's featured artist is Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams. Offering everything from these supercool robot melamine plates to the "Fruit and Nuts" print series (see "Peach Robs a Bank with the O.C. Kids" below), the Hearts and Laserbeams shop is tons of fun to explore.

Tell me a little about yourself and what you do.
i'm an artist/designer living in long beach, california with my husband josh and cattle dog jimmy the greek. hearts and laserbeams has been my full-time job for a full year now, which is so exciting! there's two facets to the business which really helps it pay the bills. the main source of income for the company is freelance graphic design for various apparel companies doing fun character tees that later show up in places like hot topic and walmart, and then the more creatively fulfilling side is my own personal artwork. i love painting, drawing, sewing, knitting, crocheting, needlefelting, and pretty much any other crafty thing i can get my hands on!

What 3 words best describe your work?
wacky goodtimes fun!


What inspires you?
in my own personal work, i like to pull a lot of reference from things that have actually happened to me, jokes that have come up among friends, and other fun ideas that just come up. i'm totally into robots and cupcakes and stick figures so they all play a pretty big part in my artwork!

What drives you to create what you do?
my biggest driving force is that if hearts and laserbeams doesn't work out, i'll have to go out and get a real job!

What makes your work unique?
there's a real sense of lighthearted fun to it. i'm a big believer that i should be having fun doing what i'm doing since it's my own stuff - if i'm not enjoying myself than what's the point?


What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
oh i am always working on some level, whether it's actually creating artwork, or spending time on the internets marketing the hell outta my stuff, or making mental lists of all the things i'd like to get done! i feel like i do have the ability to shut it off though, so that i can have good solid quality time with family and friends. i think ultimately i would love to be able to cut back on the work load a little, and concentrate more on the art/design side of things and less on the backend stuff like web design and accounting, but i'm honestly not a big enough company to hire help yet!

How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
i hope i hope this real estate market picks up because when we finally sell our condo we'll be moving to a place with room for an art studio, meaning i can start screenprinting my own tees again! (if you or someone you know is looking for a condo in downtown long beach, ca, be sure to check out www.1919beverlyway103.com!) along with that, i'm working towards designing coordinating lines of housewares and paper goods so i can start concentrating on getting wholesale orders from shops across the country - in the next five years i'd love to grow that to the point where i'm making more money from my own artwork and less from the design work i'm doing for others - it's just way more creatively fulfilling, you know? i wanna be the next paul frank! but you know, the paul frank where paul frank was still there. :)


Where can we find you on the web?
www.heartsandlaserbeams.com
www.heartsandlaserbeams.etsy.com
www.twitter.com/hrtsnlaserbeams

www.myspace.com/heartsandlaserbeams
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=644454314&ref=profile (steph calvert)
http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/hearts-and-laserbeams/30806011676 (hearts and laserbeams)

www.flickr.com/photos/stephlehman/
www.longbeachcraftmafia.com
www.uniquewomeninbusiness.blogspot.com
www.californiacraftersclubofetsy.blogspot.com


Are you an artist or craftsperson? Would you like to be featured here? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment here with a link to your shop, and I'll be in touch about future opportunities.

Dear Kid Saturday

Welcome to this week's installment of "Dear Kid." As always, full credit to Christina of Cutest Kid Ever for the fabulous idea. Want to write a "Dear Kid" letter of your very own? Learn more about how to participate here.

Dear I-don't-want-a-nickname-'cause-it's-not-nice-to-call-people-names,

You're right - it's definitely not nice to call someone by any other name than their own unless they're OK with it. This week you are very concerned with people's feelings and our rules about how to treat others. You love to catch grown-ups doing things you're not supposed to do, like interrupting, calling other people names, whining, and asking the same question over and over. Grown-ups definitely aren't perfect, right? And Daddy and I appreciate the reminder that we need to be setting a good example for you with our own behavior. So keep it up, Ms. Manners!

We got off to a pretty slow start this week. Monday morning you arrived on the scene in full princess gear, but with a scratchy throat. We took it easy at home and played "make a movie" together. You introduced me to your dolls ("OK, you guys, this is Kelly - she's going to play with us.") and we all pretended to go to the movies. We turned out the lights and acted out a movie, and only occasionally had to stop to remind someone in the audience (usually me or the dog) to shush.

Monday afternoon you did something that scared me a lot - you climbed down out of your car seat while we were on the highway. You got a VERY stern talking-to and you were really mad at me. You said you didn't love me anymore, but that maybe, after you'd calmed down, you'd still be my friend. We talked about how my job is to keep you safe, and that even if you get angry at me, I still have to do what I think is best for you. And it's OK for you to be mad and to say that you don't like me, because I'll love you no matter what. You seemed to think that was a pretty good deal.

This week I'm trying out a new schedule for my work, which has made it easier to find big chunks of time to play together. After your nap on Monday, we played board games for hours. Tuesday afternoon you made a "Happy Thursday" card for Dad, which I thought was pretty fantastic. And Wednesday night we went for a long trip around the neighborhood with your Big Wheel. You've gotten so much better at pedaling and steering!

At the gym on Thursday you played racquetball with your grandpa and then a funny game of "construction site." He'd ask you to go to the "hardware store" (me) to get him something for his construction project, and you had to remember what he needed. It was pretty silly. When he asked you for an extension ladder, you asked me for a "congestion ladder." When he needed box wrenches, you asked for "fox wrenches." Funny game, huh? Can't wait to play that one with Daddy!

You had gymnastics on Friday and, wow! You've improved a LOT since the last time you took this class. You were so much more confident on the balance beam and you were positively flying into those somersaults. It was nice to see you try new things with so much enthusiasm. You even made a new friend, which is more and more common these days. You sure are growing up.

I love you, sweet girl. Here's to another week of learning and growing together.

Sincerely,
Mommy

Happy Anniversary, Artiste!

Join me this Sunday, April 5th, at 9:00 PM for Artiste's first April stocking and first anniversary celebration! Some amazing guest artisans will be there, and we'll be hosting a scavenger hunt and two great giveaways. I'll be offering a discounted custom design package, auctions on five of my OOAK greeting cards, and two brand new semi-custom mini cards from my Freshly Crafted line.



If you're new to Artiste or to HyenaCart, you're in for a treat. Artiste brings you a wide variety of gorgeous, eco-friendly, handcrafted goodness, all made for you with love by a work-at-home mama. All of our listings go live at 9:00 PM sharp, so be sure to scope out your favorites in advance and be there on time to pounce. Fair warning - the best stuff goes fast!

I Want It

I just love this simple little journal by ARRRT! Maybe it' because it's pink. Or maybe it's because it's kind of grungy, but still cool and clean. Maybe it's just because it seems destined to be filled with all the very most intimate musings of a woman who is super sassy, highly capable, vulnerable-yet-confident... and perhaps even the slightest bit awkward in a wonderfully endearing way. Anyway, it's pretty great.

Get it here. And check out the ARRRT! blog here.

Wordless Wednesday

More funny exam papers here.