My Jones Soda for Valentine's Day

After seeing Anne-Marie's post on http://soap-queen.blogspot.com back in October about getting personalized My Jones soda bottles, I knew I wanted to get some. My husband and son especially like the Jones sodas so it seemed like a perfect, fun, personalized gift. I wanted to get them in time for my anniversary, but it takes 2-3 weeks after ordering to receive them and at that time it was already getting too close to our November wedding anniversary. So several weeks ago I decided Valentine's Day would be my perfect opportunity to pull out this gift idea. I sifted through our wedding photos, picked out one of my favs and placed my order. You can even put a little personalized note on the back of the label, so I put a little Happy Valentine's Day note on them. I got them the first week in February, so I had to hold in my excitement for way too long. Yesterday I finally got to show my husband! He was as amazed and impressed as I was and we're now enjoying our FuFu Berry with our wedding photo on the label. :)

My New Scarf!

A few weeks ago, I entered a contest at Sedruola Maruska's Yarn Obsession blog to win one of her Custom Chunky Scarves: http://yarnobsession-2.blogspot.com. I have had my eye on this scarf and had it in my Etsy favorites (as well as several other of her lovely scarves!). And I won!! I was the January winner! So excited, I got to pick my color and she made it just for me--so honored! It came in the mail today and brightened my day--possibly my entire weekend. ;) So impressed with the workmanship and coziness I actually wore it around the house all afternoon since I didn't have anywhere to go. :) Soft and warm, and so pretty, too. I picked the lime green because I thought it would look perfectly with my dark brown winter coat and it really is a lovely color combo. If you need a scarf to warm you up during this long chilly winter, or need a gift for someone special, I highly recommend this scarf. Looks like she is running this contest again, so hurry on over and enter to win!! http://yarnobsession-2.blogspot.com/ Here's me (in front of an antique toboggan with a giant snowflake behind my head!!)...it's even prettier in person.

ModRocks

ModRocks is such a great name! It's an Etsy store with beautiful Earth inspired jewelry. Earthy colors and shapes makes this a very welcoming store. Cute owl earrings, a chic leaf necklace, a bracelet inspired by the vibrant colors of the Caribbean, and these fantastic Spicy boho brass drop earrings pictured here that I received for Christmas! I ~love~ these earrings! They make me feel saucy! They look perfect with jeans and a sweater, instantly spicing up the outfit. With a dressier ensemble, they add just the right touch of sexy elegance. I have my sweet sister-in-law to thank for these earrings, and I'm enjoying checking out the other fun jewelry in this shop. Check it out at: http://ModRocks.etsy.com

Valentine's Gift Set Trio--Champagne and Chocolate

I just listed a new gift set for Valentine's Day! This set, themed Champagne and Chocolate, contains a Tiny Bubbles soap bar (champagne scented), a Tiny Bubbles Bath Soak (champagne scented fizzy bath salts), and a Chocoholic Body Balm (heart-shaped lotion bar, smells like chocolate truffles). These 3 products all come in a Chinese take-out box covered in candy hearts. What do you think of the new gift set? See more details at http://soaprehab.etsy.com.

What I got for Christmas part 2

Here's another gift I received for Christmas that I wanted to share: Rub a Dub Dub Soap Bar Earrings from CuteAbility. They are adorable, comfortable to wear all day, and have the added benefit of inquiring minds asking why I'm wearing soap bars on my ears. And I do like people asking about soap! :) They're also fun, adding a nice funky style to my everyday wear. I love unique jewelry pieces like this...makes jewelry a conversation piece. Check out the other fun jewelry from CuteAbility here: http://CuteAbility.etsy.com.

What I got for Christmas

I was apparently a very good girl this year, and my dear family presented me with some wonderful gifts. While I do think the "giving" aspect of the season is the most important and rewarding, I don't buy too many things for myself during the year so it's a real treat to receive thoughtful gifts just for me. It's very touching when I know someone has put some real thought into what I might enjoy. So I decided it would be fun to share some of the gifts I received! Check out this great eye pillow from Too Dizzy: http://tinyurl.com/9fnjxu Not only is it lovely, it's very functional! It has a nice soothing light scent from the lavender and flax seed filling. I used it last night when I went to bed. It relaxed my eyes and blocked out the annoying flashing glow of the TV that hubby insists he needs on to go to sleep. The lavender also helped me sleep and I dozed off quickly and peacefully. I also warmed it up a bit in the microwave earlier today to ease a headache I had going. As it melted away my headache, I found it very helpful indeed.

New Stocking Gift Sets Available!

Check out Soap Rehab's new Gift Sets! Set includes: one full size Soap Bar, one 4 oz. Body Butter, and one 4 oz. Bath Soak all wrapped up in a very festive red stocking.

These gift sets are available in a variety of scents. If you would like a different combination of products, I'll be happy to do a custom listing just for you! http://soaprehab.etsy.com

How To Make it a Handmade Holiday

I have decided to buy handmade as much as possible this year for holiday gifts. So, friends and family, I can tell you right now your gifts will be unique, unusual, and handmade. In case you'd like to join me in this commitment to support small business, I have gathered a few sites that feature handmade items for your shopping enjoyment.

www.etsy.com -- I believe this is the largest site of its kind; many sellers offering a large variety of different items to choose from. Jewelry, bath and body, vintage, food, garden, art, cards, knitting, and much more.

www.shophandmade.com -- A newcomer, still in beta, but building a good steady base of sellers. Some vintage, candles, cards, bath and body, jewelry, handbags, quilts, etc.

www.1000markets.com -- Another newer site, building fast. It's a clean, nicely laid out site, but I'm still learning how to navigate it. I've seen some nice pottery, jewelry, clothes, art, and some unusual gift ideas.

http://en.dawanda.com -- Unusual name. Laid out in a way that feels very familiar. If you're a regular etsy buyer, I think you'll find this easy to navigate. Easy to search. Jewelry, art, clothing, bags, etc. Mostly European sellers, so check exchange rates, shipping, etc.

www.ebay.com -- There are plenty of sellers on eBay offering up their handmade wares. Check it out, sometimes good deals to be had.

www.craigslist.com -- Another site not usually thought of for handmade goods, but you'll sometimes find people selling their crafts here.

www.bigcartel.com -- A place for smaller shops...has 100 item limit. Makes browsing through shops easier. Find unusual music, art, clothing--not your grandma's craft store.

www.cafepress.com -- Here you can find original art made into T-shirts, mouse pads, bags, buttons, cards, etc.

www.indiecollective.net -- A collective of indie businesses listing links to their websites and a description of their wares. Some links are to sites at stores mentioned above, some are individual sites. All are indie-fab.

Happy Shopping!

Yogurt Making

I know it's a very practical thing...but how great would it be to save money, reduce wasteful packaging, and make your own healthy yogurt without all the additives?! So, this is going on my Christmas List this year. You can use any kind of milk (soy yogurt maybe) and the yogurt stays good in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, without even adding any preservatives. You can also use it to make yogurt cheese. I can see getting really creative with my own yogurt flavors and having a blast. Not to mention all the health benefits. Which I won't. Because talking about intestines is out of my scope of fun. But we know it's good for you and you can read all about it. Here's the one I found at Lucy's Kitchen Shop (http://www.lucyskitchenshop.com):

Snow Covered Pine Cones Tutorial

Using white candle wax, break up into smaller chunks. Melt the wax in a double boiler or use an empty clean coffee or large veggie can in a pot of boiling water on the stove. Use extreme caution as the wax is flammable. Make sure you have enough wax that the pine cones can be fully immersed. After the wax is melted, you can use candle coloring to make colored pine cones if you'd like (red or green perhaps) or leave it white for the snow covered look. This is also when you can add essential oils or candle safe fragrances. Maybe a holiday inspired scent...peppermint, cinnamon, orange spice, or maybe a bakery scent like pumpkin pie. I think peppermint would be nice with the white, but there are lots of options out there for your favorite scent. Lower the heat. Using tongs, dip the pine cone into the wax. Hold over the pot and let the wax harden slightly. Re-dip until you get the amount of "snow" you'd like. On wax paper, sprinkle some white or iridescent glitter (to keep up the snow theme) and roll the pine cone in the glitter, or sprinkle the glitter over the top while the wax is still warm. You could get creative with the glitter, maybe use silver or gold, or any color you like! Leave the pine cones on wax paper until completely cool and hardened. These look nice in a bowl, basket or a pretty vase and would make a nice holiday gift.