Favorite Baby Item of the Day

Favorite Baby Item of the Day

Posted by Unknown

This last weekend I went to this co-op boutique show here in my neighborhood.  A place where many small businesses (or large) show off and highlight there stuff.  There are so many talented people out there and I loved it all.  One of my favorite was a graphic designer who made prints, calendars, cards and even designs blog headers.  This baby announcement was one of my favorites and she had it as a large poster for decor.  Granted Zoom has grown out of the baby stage I'm sad to say but I could still have one made for his wall.  Check out  her other stuff at Green Lily Designs.  I'm lucky I grabbed her card! 

Pumpkin Time

Pumpkin Time

Posted by Unknown

I love pumpkins!  They make me happy, literally.  Saturday I put my pumpkins on the porch.  I don't have as many as I usually do so I threw some funkins in with them.  On sunday I looked out my upstairs window and noticed that somebody had placed pumpkins at the park across the way and smiled that somebody would do something so nice.  While in the shower (great ideas come here) the thought crossed my mind that nobody would buy pumpkins and put them at the park.....in must have been the crazy wind.  Later I opened my front door to see all my funkins had blown away.  I love being the nice person who decorates the neighborhood!  I then went for a walk in the rain. 

I saw these no carve pumpkins on Better Homes and Gardens.  They all make me so very happy. 

Fun Fun Fun

Fun Fun Fun

Posted by Unknown

Why have cake when you can have a cupcake? That's how I feel about cupcakes. There was once an episode of Seinfeld that had a fictionary store that just sold muffin tops. A dream come true if that were a cupcake top. The top is just so dang good and being a frosting lover is just the added benefit.

While strolling through Costco I thumbed through this book and made the 9.99 purchase (in paperback). It has the cutest ideas for cupcakes and parties and is 100% original. I'm sure it takes some practice to perfect these techniques but once you do it will be a sure fire way to please a crowd. I already know the "birthday cake" that I'm going to make for my sons next birthday. It's definitely worth a peruse!

The Coolest Bike Helmet Ever!

The Coolest Bike Helmet Ever!

Posted by Unknown

I recently saw these on Design Mom and thought they were to die for. They are bicycle helmets with style. I love the orange one you know I'm going to be ordering one of these when the next paycheck comes in. They come in different styles and colors. They are currently just sold in Europe but you can get them shipped to North America. Anybody know the exchange rate for the dollar now days? Maybe I'll have to save a bit but I certainly do love the look. Especially with how much I ride around town.

Check them out at the following link. http://www.yakkay.com/cover_sunhat.html

Pumpkin Fever

Pumpkin Fever

Posted by Unknown

I do love pumpkins and someday I will grow all the pumpkins I need in my own yard. However until that time, I'll continue to buy pumpkins....the white ones, the green ones, the perfect orange ones and even the plastic ones from craft stores to fillful all my pumpkin desires. These are my new favorite pumpkin pictures...... thanks fo Martha for holiday inspiration. However the last one is my favorite punkin of the season:)

Friday Night Movie

Friday Night Movie

Posted by Unknown

In honor of Paul Newman I thought I'd watch a movie from a great actor and charitable American. It's a classic movie and if you haven't seen it then go rent or buy it today. And if you have seen it, it's definitely worth another viewing.

The bonus is that Robert Redford is in it as well. It's not just about Butch Cassidy. Have a great weekend everyone....and let me know what your favorite Paul Newman movie is.

Oilily Clothing

Oilily Clothing

Posted by Unknown

Those of you familiar with Oiliy clothing know that you are definitely not shopping at Wal-Mart. They absolutely have the most cutest clothing for little girls ever. 100% absolutely adorable. (and yes I think it's a shame that they make such cute things for little girls when I have a little boy.)

I recently went into one of their retail stores and found a woman's skirt that was to die for. I instantly fell in love and to top it off it was on sale marked down 25%. I have to admit my heart skipped a beat. I searched eagerly for the tag and did the math. Again, I have to admit that with such big numbers it got a little tough to do the math. The total came to $298. My heart sank. I would never spend that amount no matter how cute the skirt was. Maybe I'm not a designer woman but even at 50% off I wouldn't buy it. It's just too much for a skirt. I'm frugal remember! I like a screaming deal not a layaway plan. I admired the skirt but did indeed make the slow and painful steps out the door. I quickly glanced at the sales girl and she read my face immediately. She smiled and said, "maybe next time", with a shrug. Yeah right chica!!! Do I look like the rich and famous.

Oh yeah.....and this is the skirt. Isn't it beautiful. What would you pay?

My favorite sandwhich

My favorite sandwhich

Posted by Unknown

One of my favorite sandwiches is a traditional BLT. I figure wherever I go nobody can really screw up a BLT and all that I can be is pleasantly surprised if it's extraordinary. Since I also love fresh basil and fresh mozzarella sandwiches on ciabatta, I decided to mix the two. I opted to use the basil verses the lettuce and leave out the mozzarella in lieu of extra mayonnaise :). Loved it! The only thing that could have improved it would have been avocado. However I don't want to take away from the basil. All I know, is how it tasted. Delicious!

*Trader Joe's always has the best deal on Basil. In the past I have always bought a container full of large leaves for about $1.99 (that's sooo inexpensive comparative to the supermarket.) However in the summer I always buy a full plant and use the leaves fresh whenever I need. The plant is only $3.29. Gotta love Trader Joe's

Win Me...another give-away

Win Me...another give-away

Posted by Unknown

I have a vision and a plan of what I want to do with the giveaways that I do. I've had it for a while but haven't figured out how to implement it. So I guess it will be trial and error that I figure it out. However this will be the first giveaway that I really want to make my idea soar. Life is awesome and I want people to be able to share their thoughts and ideas since mine are soooooo limited. I'm inspired by others....their thoughts, their talents, and even their differences across the board. So I'm trying to encourage the reasons and goals I've had in starting this blog in the first place. To share life's' joys, inspire laughter, share struggles, invite inspiration and to learn from our experiences together. A broad vision, yes, but I'm a hippy kind of gal who envisions singing kum-by-ya with my neighbor :0) So here it goes....if you have any questions let me know

When I was first married somebody (Melissa Hassel to be exact) gave us a wedding present called the Tightwad gazette. It was a book on how to save money and be thrifty. One of the ideas in the book was to wash your plastic bags, yes the disposable ones, and reuse them again and again until they were worn. I had never heard of such a thing and thought it was kinda odd to have Ziploc in the dishwasher and over the faucet to dry and dismissed it the idea.......until I became cheaper myself.

Recycling is something I've always truly believed in and it just makes sense. It's exemplifies efficiency. Even if you don't go along with the Global Warming theory recycling is good for the world. From the landfills to your conscience...everything body and everything wins. I always support products and ideas that do. Now the transition to the giveaway........patience is a virtue I know.

These bracelet are made with recycled material and are so fun. My little son wears a bracelet that says ZOOM which is his nickname and he gets comments all the time. My bracelet gets changed all the time to represent my feelings of the moment. I have the blue cuff which has ranged from messages that read 'Hillary for Prez' to 'no chcolate for dori pleeeaase!'. To see more about the bracelets go to the link Spriggy.com/shainsware for info and colors.

After being totally long winded..........Here's the goal. I would like all interested in receiving a free eco bracelet to leave a comment with their favorite reusable or recycling idea. My goal is to get 2o comments so please pass on the word for the cause (remember my vision). It can be anything relating to something that you might fix, reuse, or that you have made from materials no longer in use.....or anything that you do. Does that make sense? If not just let me know. I'm all about feedback. Don't forget....your comment needs to be green to qualify ( I can just imagine what my brothers will think).

Winner will be annouced on Friday, September 12th. Winner must claim their prize by the 15th.

My Mothers' Buttons

My Mothers' Buttons

Posted by Unknown

So I just received this new jewelry for my shop from My Mothers' Buttons. This woman out of the Seattle area makes jewelry from old antique and vintage buttons. Can I just tell you how stellar the pieces are. She is so talented and so creative to think of it and it truly is one of a kind jewelry. All of her buttons are from Europe and are so beautiful in every way. It's amazing how different the pieces can look just because of each button. Some of her lariat necklaces could go with evening dresses and others for your everyday casual ware. Everybody I show loves them as well and can never decide which one they like best. The rings sell the quickest and I have to get more inventory up. To check it out before my site launches officially (who knows when that is..so much harder than I ever imagined. I'm still having server trouble ) click the link below.

My Mothers Buttons

She also makes awesome necklaces from old bridle rosettes. The picture below is a splurge that I bought. I might just keep it for myself if nobody buys it. (and I secretly hope nobody does :)

August is Here

August is Here

Posted by Unknown

The last month of the summer is here! Can you believe how fast it has went. I saw my first fallen leaf of the season yesterday crinkled on the street. Fall is coming. However there is still much of summer left to enjoy.

I love Sundance Catalog Company. It's one of my favorite stores etc. I rarely order anything from it but I do enjoying perusing. The jewelry is the best and recently I found a stellar key chain. I love the quote. I know I don't need to spend $100 to carry it with me but I can definitely carry the idea with me. We need to be happy with ourselves and our lives. If you hate your job that find something that will make you love your day more. Enjoy coworkers or go to lunch at your favorite sidewalk bistro. Find something that you can look forward to everyday....and truly love it. Most of the time it is all about attitude. That's why I love this keychain. It's a state of mind and life is to short. After all, it's August 2008!!!

Dancing with the universe

Dancing with the universe

Posted by Unknown

Have you guys seen this? It's my new favorite thing. My sister and law and I even danced to it in her living room to bring the universe closer to us. Try it...You might feel the power as well.

Posted by Unknown

There are not many times that you will see me drinking soda pop. However being in certain regions on the country (especially southern California) and I known to hunt down my favorite beverage of choice. It always makes me happy and having a drink of this soda makes memories and delight flood through my body. Any guesses? Probably not but Cactus Cooler is the only soda I might buy a six pack at the store of. I just bought some and goodness gracious it was everything that I remember it to be.

If you can find it in your area it might be worth a taste. I guess it's like old fashion fanta orange on steroids. But it's not just orange...it's pineapple too! Whatever it is. It's just dang good on a hot day.

The Price of Gas in France

The Price of Gas in France

Posted by Unknown

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.

After careful planning, he got past security,stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.However, he was captured only two blocks awaywhen his van ran out of gas.When asked how he could mastermind such a crimeand then make such an obvious error, he replied,'Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.

I had no Monet

to buy Degas

to make the Van Gogh.'See if you have De Gaulle to send this on to someone elseI posted this because I figured I had nothing Toulouse

Family Tree

Family Tree

Posted by Unknown

I saw this cute family tree design on a website call Family Summerbelle. It's an English site which sells the design but you know me....I'm in the little bird in the top of the tree going cheap cheap cheap. The design is perfect for kids decor. Now I just have to see if I have that many relatives who will let me have their picture.

Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga

Posted by Unknown

My mom had the antidote "Laughter is the Best Medicine" on her desktop for years. Sometimes you hear things and we often take them for granted. However through the years as I've pondered how laughter has effected my life I realize how true and wise that saying is. When was the last time you laughed? Not a chuckle, a giggle but rather that down right belly laugh. Who do you laugh with? What things make you laugh? Why don't we laugh all the time?

I just ran across another quote today from Marie Osmond. She says. "If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now." How true that is!!! If we can't laugh at ourselves, our situations, or anything else our lives are brought even lower then they truly are. If we learned to laugh everyday in would definitely lighten our lives and heal our hearts. Sometimes I think we just forget to laugh, to see the humor in our everyday lives. We need to remember as Laughter truly is the best medicine.

The following clip is an info on a new fad called Laughter Yoga. It's an informative piece but I watched a full Yoga class on the Internet and it really did make me laugh. Laughter truly is contagious. It lightens are moods and our hearts. Did I already say that? Maybe I'm just stressing the point.

Felt Bag Give Away

Felt Bag Give Away

Posted by Unknown

After my baby shower I was left with a plethora of gifts. Not only that but it seemed I had a million and one gift bags. You know the cute ones you get now days instead of a wrapped gift. I firmly believe in reduce, reuse, and recycle so I kept every last one of them. However, I'm not sure I will make it to 52 baby showers within my life time. So I will continue storing them eagerly awaiting invitations. They are pretty useless otherwise and it would look pretty odd at the park carrying my lunch in blue feet fashion.

Besides my Trader Joe's insulated grocery bag, my favorite dual purpose bags are felt bags from Groovy Holidays. They can be used for a variety of occasions. I use them for gift baskets jam packed with all kind of fun stuff.

You guessed it. That's my give away. A groovy felt bag. With springtime in the air I thought that this would make a great Easter basket. They are hand stitched and rage in price from $4 and up. The Noah's ark bag is pretty cute to carry to Sunday School too. This bag retails for $8 and is totally adorable. There are many different styles for each unique occasion.

To qualify for this give away simple leave a comment saying what you would use these types of bags for and check back to see if you're the winner. To purchase any of the above click here.

Winners Never Cheat

Winners Never Cheat

Posted by Unknown

I always think insight that other people have is so very interesting. Maybe that is why I blog on some level. I recently read this book by Jon Huntsman (He's a very successful business man, emphasizing very) and thought it was actually really good. It's not circulating in the bookstores heavily but it is definitely worth the read if you find it or choose to buy it. He is a true philanthropist and 100% of the profits go to a worthy organization. It's an easy read, a feel good book and really does make you bring hope about mankind and its values. The book review by publishers weekly sums it up much better than I do so I'll post it below. Great success can be brought through honesty and integrity




This year, Huntsman took his multibillion dollar eponymous petrochemical company public, pushing him even higher on the upper tiers of Forbes's wealthiest list. This little book is structured around old-school aphorisms ("Play by the Rules"; "Check Your Moral Compass") from which Huntsman draws an informal moral code. King's foreword touches on the big picture: Huntsman's unremarkable beginnings, his scholarship to Wharton, his founding and stewarding of Huntsman Chemical, his giant Salt Lake City home and his philanthropy-as well as Huntsman's struggles with cancer, and the family members he has lost to the disease. Huntsman's own chapters include mild rants against lawyers, the story of his son's "successful 2004 campaign for governor" of Nevada, tales of his other eight children, their travels, business deals and the role of prayer in their lives. Prescriptive but digressive, Huntsman's book feels a lot like a long, informal speech to a graduating class.

Favorite Item

Favorite Item

Posted by Unknown

With my son being sick today I thought I would share an item I am so grateful for. I have loved this item from the time we came home from the hospital and I couldn't get my son to hold still long enough to take his temperature. In fact, I was just reading in consumer reports and The Braun Thermascan was one of their must have items of the year which totally justified my liking even more.

It's quick, painless, accurate and way easy to use. What more could you want in a thermometer. Oh, and did I mention it's only used on the upper region! That is something to rejoice in by itself.