Pupcakes!

My son's birthday was this past weekend - my BABY is 3 now! I just can't believe it! Anyway, I wanted to share really quick about his birthday {pup}cakes! I love love LOVED them, they were so adorable. My friend Christy, who also made my older son's 4th birthday cake, made these sweet little pups, and they were the talk of the party.

If you're in the Central Iowa area and you're looking for someone to make you a fantastic cake (or cup cakes!), I HIGHLY recommend Christy. She is my go-to girl for bakery goodness from here on out!







Thanks so much Christy!! Ooh, did I mention that she made these while on BEDREST for pre-term labor?! What an amazing woman she is!!

Obsession

Any of my "long time readers" (whom I apologize to for neglecting this blog so much) know that I have a *slight* (read: insatiable) obsession for chap stick/lip balm. It's not that I WEAR it all the time, I just love it, I love buying it, I love finding new hand made lip balms, I love it all!

I have been a reader of flipflopmamma's blog for quite awhile now (sorry for not commenting!!!) so I knew when she opened up her Etsy shop, and I put off making a purchase until last week.

Um, I am SO sorry I waited this long! I purchased one of her lip balms in my favorite flavor - peppermint! Not only did it smell yummy, but it tasted yummy (you lip balm lovers know what I mean :-P No, I did not EAT the lip balm!), and my favorite part? It made my lips tingly!! Oooh, I love me some tingly lip balm!


Anyway, I just love to share a good product when I try one - so here is one! If you're not a lip balm addict like me, perhaps you're a caffeine addict (like me) and would like some coffee body scrub? Mmm... I love the smell of coffee. I wonder if I would love smelling like coffee? I think I would. Oh, my next purchase from flipflopmamma might actually be the Spiced Chai - I would love to sit with a friend (or my lovely mother in love who shares my love for Chai) and sip on some hot chai. Mmmm... I've read some really good reviews on it too!

So go check out Bee Simple/FlipFlopMamma! She's a rockin' mama, sporting some Sa-Weet dreads (jealous!!), and she's crafty! She's one cool mama!

Jewllori sale!

Get 'em while they're hot! Oh, I am SO excited to announce that my good friend - and one of my favorite jewelry designers - is having an earring sale right now!

I own a gorgeous set of Jewllori - a coordinating necklace and earring set that is my favorite!!

And like I told Lori, had I not just wiped out my bank account purchasing my new camera, I'd be totally taking advantage of this sale!

So, since I can't, I thought I'd give YOU a heads up so YOU CAN!
Do it, Lori is such a wonderful woman to work with, and you won't be disappointed with her work!

This is a Sign!

My friend Jen is a phenomenal artist when it comes to metal work and jewelry.  She has recently come out with a new "line" of sign language necklaces!  Oh my goodness, I am giddy with excitement, they are so fun and I LOVE sign language!

The cool thing about these necklaces is that they are almost like a "3-in-1" necklace concept.  You can wear the whole set together, with the inside and the outline together.

Or you could just wear the inside piece.

Or you can wear the outline!  OR you could use it as a "best friend" piece and share the other half of the necklace!

You should really check out her shop, JMW Jewelry is full of beautiful, unique and creative pieces that Jen makes herself in her own home studio.  Check out her blog too!  Sometimes she gives insight into what goes into making a pendant, which I always love.

Pleated Poppy Giveaway!

Not long ago I came across a blog that I subscribed to almost immediately.  The blogger's name is Lindsey and soon after I subscribed, she branched her personal blog off into a business blog called The Pleated Poppy -- she makes some of the cutest little posies!  Like adorable little fabric broaches that you can do so many things with!  She also makes fabric headbands and zippered pouches, and really cute clipboards!  So now she has a really fun crafty blog AND a shop where she is selling her goodies.

What's more?

Natalie over at Natalie's Sentiment is hosting a giveaway through her blog in which we have a chance to win a set of 3 of those adorable posy pins!  So go check out Natalie's blog too - and while you're there, go back a few days and read all about her Fall Giveaway Soiree!

Must. Resist. The. Urge!

Ok, I JUST got done paying a crapload of bills (yes, as a matter of fact, that IS a unit of measurement) but boy oh BOY do I want this mug! It's funny, it's cute, and dang it's unique!! Everything I love!


I was on this site cause I've had these in my favorites for the longest time. Well, I just realized that they had long since sold, so when I see things like that, I like to delete the favorite usually ONLY if I can find another goody from that shop to replace it. Weird, I know. But that's how I roll, homes.


The point of this ramble is to say that I didn't realize how many other amazing mugs this seller has!!! Mud Fairy is like my new favorite Etsy shop! And of course, I'm flat broke right now, otherwise I'd be snatching up a mug faster than you can say "Mandi doesn't need another mug"!!

Oh yeah, I want to have a mug collection. Did I mention that? It's true. Not just any mug. And not "sets" of mugs (like the ones that come with a dish set - ie: Correlle) I want to collect cool mugs. And I want to collect mugs from local coffee shops that I visit. I LOVE local coffee shops. Heart them! ♥ I have a ton of mugs right now, but only a select few of them I would say are a part of my "collection". In fact, when I do add more to my collection, I will be getting rid of some of the mugs that came with my dish sets. I want all my mugs to be different.

Bottom line: I ♥ heart ♥ MudFairy.

Writing on the Wall

Since we've moved, I've been constantly trying to get all settled in, which includes hanging pictures on the wall and decorating {who am I kidding, I don't have a decorating bone in my body}. I've been ITCHING to get some of those vinyl wall words to put on my massive walls, my walls are SCREAMING for some quotes, text, and inspiration! And of course I have a ton of ideas to choose from, I've found so many great sites on Etsy that I can pick from when the time comes (hopefully soon)!

Here are a few of my favorites. For more wonderful vinyl wall art or words, simply search Etsy for "vinyl wall words" or something of that sort.




Sticky Graffiti has quite a few that I would love to put on my wall. One of my new favorites is this one I would like for the outside of my sons' room.




SingleStoneStudios also has lot to choose from too - and not all words (quotes, etc) they have some really cute and cool designs as well!



EnoughSaid is yet another site that I love and would love to purchase from. And there are multiples that I would love to own, but the Laundry Room one is probably on the top of my list. My laundry room walls are BEGGING me to decorate them with this {wink}



So, does anyone else decorate with these vinyl stickers? Care to share your stories or your photos?

I AM a winner!

Days ago I entered a contest/give-away that was hosted by Wendy at Babies Gotta Have It. It was for one of Heather's (Zwei Baby) Quick Trip Organizers - either blue or pink! I have had Zwei Baby/TwinMommy in my favorites since I was a newbie on Etsy, so I am THRILLED to be able to own a piece of Zwei Baby for myself!!

Thanks to Wendy for hosting the give-away and thanks especially to Heather for being so generous AND making my day!!

Worth Every Penny.

Remember a couple days ago when I posted about my impulse buy?

It came today {big grin}

I'll admit I had a bit of buyers remorse after I made the purchase because of the money spent, but when I got a personal message/convo sent to me from Rachelle herself, it all went away. And boy was I surprised at the super fast shipping when I opened my door this morning!!

Rachelle had given me a tip about putting the caramels in the fridge as soon as I got them, in case they had gotten a bit soft in their travels. And I did.

After I snitched one first. {wink}

Oh. My. Word. That beautiful little roll of delicious goodness just melted in my mouth! It was SO good! And actually, as I sit here typing, I have the bag of them sitting in front of me, oh so lovely and chilled and yummy... And I've got 3 innocent little wrappers already piled up, hoping I will turn 3 into 4... and so on and so forth.

So my review? 5 out of 5 stars. Deliciously amazing. And 100% worth it. Thanks Rachelle!!

My peeps and homies

I love having creative friends. And I love to show them off. {big grin} So this post will be full of the awesomeness of my pals. Because I can.

My girl Lori of Lorijaclynsjewels (otherwise known as Jewllori) could keep any girl adorned in gorgeous bling! I love her stuff! I will most certainly be the proud owner of more Jewllori as soon as possible! Shimmy on over to Lori's shop and be prepared to stay awhile, you will surely be impressed at all her beauties!


Caitlin of CarmelTurtle has graced this blog many-a-time, and for a good reason! Ladies, if your Eggo is Preggo, you need to make a quick beeline over to CarmelTurtle. Seriously. I've touched the goods (um, the shirts, nothing else). Mine eyes have seen the glory. I wish I was Preggo so I could sport one of her sweet awesome shirts. Oh, and when (yes, when) you decide to purchase your CT shirt... tell her Mandi sent you. No reason, I will just feel special {wink}


And as the season Summer comes to an end, you should head on over to my girl Summer's shop and feel the warmth all year long! Your little girls will turn heads and you'll look like the hip mama that everyone wants to be! Check her out - you won't be sorry!


And now to be completely random (as in, I have never met this person, talked to this person, or know them in any way) I want to quickly showcase a shop I've had in my favorites for a little bit now. Isn't she talented?? These girls are adorable! So go on over and check out a new shop! You may make a new friend!

Write about now...

I've been into journaling lately. As you read in a recent post, I've always had a thing for journals but have a hard time sticking to them. Lately I found one I love and I've been inspired by a friend to start a "journal" for each of my boys where I can write them letters and jot down the funny things they've said and write memories down so I can give them the book when they're older (married, graduated, etc). So anyway, I was on a search for an awesome journal for my boys and now I have too MANY to choose from! Here are a couple favorites:

This one is a sketch book cover by DailyThreads. It's been in my favorites for quite awhile now. I love the pocket and I love the bright funky fabrics!

This is another from DailyThreads and it's for an actual notebook rather than a sketch book. I love the textures on all the covers and that big button is great!

Then I discovered hand bound journals and I was gone. Kreativelink has some of the most beautiful journals! If I felt I could do them justice I would fork over the money for 2 of them (one for each boy of course). I would love to save for them cause they are seriously gorgeous!

And if I had a girl, this one would be in my cart in a second ;-)

I hope to one day be able to make a purchase or two from either Kreativlink or DailyThreads.

Top that!

I don't even remember how I came across this shop, but I'm glad I did! I about laughed out loud when I saw her pregnant lady cake topper! It is absolutely flippin' adorable. I'm not hosting any baby showers in the near future, but I wish I was because I so desperately would want to order from Kelly's Clay Creations! You should see the other pregnant cake toppers she's made - they are shown in the other photos for that listing I linked above. She doesn't stop at babies though, she also makes wedding cake toppers- and custom too! Now if you're not in the market for a cake topper but you want to give (or receive *wink*) a sweet little newborn gift, you could just barely dip into your wallet and get an adorable little swaddled baby magnet. It's a must see, it really is.

Anyway, check out her shop. And keep her in mind for the next time you're headed to a baby shower - or better yet, hosting one!

What have I done!?

I couldn't help it.

The devil made me do it?

I had a craving?

I didn't get enough spankings as a child?

Whatever the case, I caved. I've had this shop in my favs for a long time... in fact I THINK I saw them in the favorites of a friend's etsy shop or in feedback or something... so I could probably blame one of you if I could remember where I saw the shop first.

Anyway, I had just enough left over in my paypal account (of course that money is supposed to go towards paying back any number of things I've promised to pay back) and I tried and tried to resist... but I kept reading the feedback and my mouth kept watering on my keyboard and I knew the only way to stop the wet keyboard syndrome was to click that glorious and tempting green {add to cart} button. So I did. And initially I had buyers remorse because of how much I was spending on *candy*... But then I read the feedback again and I knew I had done the right thing. It's ok. In 2-5 days all will be right in the world.

I'll be sure to update to let you know how fast I inhaled the carmels {wink}.

Oh, and don't tell my hubby. :-P

Hang on to your seats...

The Big Give is back in action!! I've been working hard to whip out some new goodies for a "Family Fun Day" thing that Caitlin {over at CarmelTurtle} and I will be selling at. Soooo... I've been adding to the Big Give pile and I'm getting excited to present a winner! Aaaaaand.

...drumroll please...

I WILL be drawing a 2nd place winner! I've had a great response with lots of entries and I'd love to share the wealth! So here's the dealio:

• You have from now until Thursday night at 11:59 PM central time to enter.
• If you have already entered, you MAY comment on this post and get your name in one more time (I will take names from both blog posts)
  
• There will be no more referrals {"so and so sent me"}
• On Friday I will post a video in which I will draw the winner(s) AND I will reveal what the winners recieved!

Get it? Got it?? GOOD! Have fun and good luck!

Pays to subscribe!

One of my favorite shops (and one of my favorite online buddy ol pals ;-)) just sent out her most recent newsletter that told details of a sale she's holding! Apparently tomorrow is a holiday in Canada (where she lives) so in honor, she's offering free shipping starting now and going until tomorrow night at 10:00 PM. If you've followed my blog, you know Lori is a sweet little preggo mama who creates the most wonderful jewelry - and I know because I am a VERY proud owner of a gorgeous necklace and pair of matching earrings! So I know you will not be disappointed if you decide to take Lori up on her offer.

SURPRISE in my mailbox!!!

About a month ago, Wonder Mommy was having a giveaway - a big giveaway - and I entered to win! Well, I was shocked to get an email from Wonder Mommy recently telling me that I had WON! Not only that, but I won the BIG prize! The pattern AND the yard of fabric! I was beyond thrilled!


Well, it's been crazy around here, and honestly, I had forgotten about it. Until I got the mail today. Inside was a package that felt soft yet heavy. I was racking my brain trying to remember if I'd bought anything recently, but I didn't remember doing that. So when I opened it up to see what was inside, I was THRILLED! I think I squealed out loud ;-)



The pattern is adorable. And the one yard of fabric is amazing! AAANNNNDDD... The extra YARD of fabric that Wonder Mommy threw in as an extra is gorgeous as well!!! What a fabulous package!! I love it all and can't WAIT to try out this pattern!!!


Thank you SO SO much Wonder Mommy - you totally made my day!!!

Treasured

I haven't been on Etsy a whole lot lately. As in, I'll check convos if I have em, and I'll browse other shops sometimes, but I haven't been to the forums or checked treasuries or anything in a long time. So it's a good thing my friends have got my back! Cause had Lori not sent me a convo, I would never have known I was in this treasury!



So thank's Lori for bringing this to my attention, and thanks to QuiltsByPatty for featuring my sweet little onesie!

My kind of contest :-)

I'm kind of known for enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Heck just the other day I got SUPER excited when my hubby confirmed that our new place (we move at the end of this month) will have an ice maker! Yup, I'm easy to please.

So when I saw that Jody had created a contest for the simple reason that she discovered how to do a gift certificate through Paypal - I knew I'd found a friend ;-) that is so something I would do.

How do you enter her contest? Oh man it's simple.

Step 1: Check out her adorable shop
Step 2: Pick a favorite from her shop
Step 3: Go back to her blog and leave a comment telling her what your favorite is
Step 4: Sit back and wait for her to draw your name *wink*

So what's my favorite from her shop? Well, I've been a huge fan of her quilts for a long time now (I adore quilts!) so I'll admit, it's a tie between this one:






And this one:



So what's yours? Hurry, contest ends Thursday July 10th! Wouldn't you want $15 to spend in her shop??

Gracious Give-away!

I love running across great give-aways! Last night I discovered one over at Sew Gracious' blog - she's giving away an adorable tote. All I had to do was check out her shop (which has been in my favorites for a long time anyway) and leave a comment telling her what my favorite thing was! Simple! (by the way, this is my favorite of hers) So check her out! And enter her contest! What have you got to lose? *wink*

What's in YOUR bag?

Lori is having a contest!! I'm so excited, the prize is really cute! Here's what she has to say about the contest:

CONTEST TIME

Everyone has things in your purse that you can't go anywhere without! Show me yours by posting a photo and description as a comment on this post! A winner will be selected randomly from entries placed by Friday July, 11th at 1:00PM MST.

**DETAILS ON LORI'S BLOG**

SIMPLE AND EASY...and you can WIN THIS!
A new O.P.I "Mod About You" pink nail polish, and cutsie flower and paisley satchel.


-------------------------------------------------------

So! I kind of broke the rules. Lori wanted a photo... but I decided to do a video. Cause I'm 100% dork like that. Enjoy!