Etsy Finds Vol. 11

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
P  I  Z  Z  A
( because April is Autism Awareness Month, this month's keywords are things that Squish really loves! )

 

Etsy Finds Vol. 10

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
L  E  G  O
( because April is Autism Awareness Month, this month's keywords are things that Squish really loves! )

 

More Than Just An IG Giveaway

     For those of you who don't know, Delilah is 2, with the heart of a diva ... stuck with a mommy who sucks at all things fashion. Okay, I'm not a total failure, she gets her nails painted & her hair gets pinned back/up... sometimes. That's pretty much as far as I can go.

    Her therapists have mentioned that the rare skirt (I make them, then pair them with bike shorts & a tee, 80s style baby!) help her with her mobility, and aren't restrictive like her pants or jean shorts can be. So, I guess I realized that I can deal with her preferred fashion choices for that purpose. But I totally needed help ... because let's face it: I wear jeans and hoodies all day long. If I wear a bra that's not meant for sports, something big is going down. I can barely color coordinate, to be perfectly honest. So with a medical reason to change her wardrobe ... and no clue how to start, I did what any mom on social media would do ...

Etsy Finds Vol. 9

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
f  u  n  k  y
( thanks to amanda over at adorkablii )

Review & Giveaway: Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps

Featuring a giveaway by Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps

co-hosted by the following amazing ladies:

Tatiana, Melissa, Jen, Jessica H, Jessica D & Annie

(click their names to visit their coordinating blog-posts)

     Having a daughter made really made me take a step back and look at my "beauty" regimen. I don't want to have Delilah associate makeup with beauty. I want her to realize that women are all different: some of us have freckles, some of us have more pigment, some of us have wrinkles laughlines. I want her to realize that even when I don't wear mascara, I'm still beautiful. With that being said? I am going through this almost militant re-haul of all my makeup and skin care products. Ok, maybe not completely militant. *shyface* Hey ... I never said I don't want to be (& feel) pretty!

     After double checking my skincare products on a site that ranks them by their hazardous potential ... I chucked over half of my products. After a frantic week (or so) of research, all roads lead to handmade/homemade soaps. Let me just say I was having a really hard time believing that a handmade soap could leave me feeling all fresh & silky soft like some of those "high-end" brands you can buy out here in LA. You know, the ones that charge you three hard-earned paychecks for .25 ounces of magical fix-all? Yeah, those. So when I found the amazing Grace & Miss Mouse Soaps? I was floored. As they say ... "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Etsy Finds Vol. 8

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
c a l i f o r n i a

Teespring: Crowdfunding Apparel

     As a mom, there's always something to fund-raise: kids schools, sports, events, family reunions, bake sales ... jeez, the list goes on forever. Right?! Last year, we tried to make great tees for the Autism Walk. Let's just say it turned out horribly. We went to some crappy place, and they "printed" us shirts. Half of the shirts were wrinkled, disfigured and lopsided. The other half were so thin, you could see evvvverything through them! The cost was outrageous, and we raised a little less than a hill of beans after subtracting all the expenses. We didn't even have shirts in the right sizes. It was a disaster. Never doing that again! It felt like the company's slogan should have been "Oh, you're fundraising? We'll carelessly slap your logo on some 2nd rate crappy merchandise, overcharge your customers and force you to pay us 80% of your profit."

I wish I had known about teespring back then!

Etsy Finds Vol. 7

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the word
g l i t t e r 

 

Review: Rubber Stamp Press

     Sometimes, I send pretty little quotes to people. Like a random "feel better" kind of quote written out, sealed up & shipped off. It's just a small reminder that someone, somewhere is wishing them a beautiful day, a little joy and a smile. Maybe it doesn't change their day. Maybe they throw it away. Who knows -  but I'm doing it. In my quest to single-handedly spread random joy, I have written my blog name in the upper left corner of one too many envelopes - and after a bit, it starts to look ... well, let's face it. Boring. Besides, who likes to write out the entire spiel of information every time they send something?! Yeah, no one. So, when Kim from Rubber Stamp Press and I started talking on Etsy? The ideas came flooding in.

     See, Kim makes rubber stamps. Self-inking and wood-handled ones. Ones with words, ones with art ... and yes, ones with both. The best part? You can't run down to some craft shop and buy these. She custom makes them for YOU. No one else in the entire world will have your stamp! If you know me, that's a huge bonus - I love being unique. Doesn't everyone? Through the ordering process, Kim and I discussed the options available, and she sent me proofs of my stamp, along with the exact dimensions/size so that I would know not only how it looked, but how large or small it would be. If I wanted changes, she made them. This is the last print she sent me:

Etsy Finds Vol. 6

In honor of National Talk Like A Pirate Day ...

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the search-word
"pirate"

Etsy Finds Vol. 5

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the search-word
"princess"

Etsy Finds Vol. 4

This week's Etsy Finds have been brought to you by the search-word

"RED"

Bites Baked Goods Review (& Giveaway)

     Bites Baked Goods, by Christina Covell located in New York? Never heard of them? Yeah, well - I hadn't either. I am so glad I got to talk to Chrissy (the owner) though! She's got a really sweet talent, she's awesome AND super excited to get some views and feedback, so make sure you go check out her great work and leave her some love on etsy, her blog, instagram or even facebook! If you get a chance, visit her blog and read more about her, but if not - here is a little teeny snippet:

"... Bites Baked Goods was born. Now I run a licensed business and work out of a professional kitchen, producing custom orders ranging from colorful decorated sugar cookies to wedding cakes to savory hors d’ oeuvres."

She's got the whole Etsy thing on lock too! Check out some sample photos from her shop:

Etsy Finds Vol. 3

     Each week, I bring you four amazing products, all with a certain theme or search word in common. This week, I chose to search "Autism." As many of you know, I am the mother to a kiddo diagnosed with moderate-functioning Autism who is enrolled in an SDC (Special Day Class) and always making progress! I love my Squish, and support the Autism Awareness in anyway I can. Anywhoo ... here's the Etsy Finds for this week:

  

1. "Different, Not Less" Vinyl Decal (More Colors Available)

2. Autism/Aspergers/PDD-NOS Awareness Bracelet

3. Puzzle Piece Nail Art (More Colors Available)

4. Autism / Humanity Quote Art Print (More Colors Available)

& I'd like you all to remember: 

"It's not about fixing what's broken,

it's about enabling what's possible."

Etsy Finds Vol. 2

     This week's theme is Dreamcatcher. I am going through a little nostalgic phase, and well, let's just say I really need to get back to a Pow Wow. In case you're wondering, yes ... I would love to own any one of these items! I tried to find authentic Native-made items, but only the product in second photo has any posted claim to tribal affiliation.

Tori Kelly

I just found this singer. This amazingly talented gorgeous singer named Tori Kelly. I looked her up after seeing her ...well, hearing her on her Vine (noted Best of Vine this week) dedicated to a sad fan:

Her voice though! Simply amazing. Like, she took this on her cellphone.

While driving. I mean, come on! Fantastic voice!

It's like she fell from Heaven and started singing.

Plus she's super gorgeous. AND a sweet person.

Go watch some of her youtube videos!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Rob @ Tiny Bird Press

     Ok, so this post has been a long time in the making. But I have to let you guys know about a great artist and instagram friend of mine. Ok, so we have never met in real life, duh - thus the "instagram friend" distinction. Whatever. The point is, he has GREAT art ... and you really should take a look. I could sit here and type 4,000 things on how awesome he is, but I'd rather let the man speak for himself! This is Rob Schwager, owner of Tiny Bird Press, in his own words:

I work as an illustrator and graphic designer. For the past 19 years, I've worked in the comic book industry as a digital colorist and painter. I love hanging with my wife and kids. I'm into learning about God, lowbrow art, comic books, cartoons, nose art, pickelhaubes, steampunk stuff, pin-up girls, vinyl art toys, cyanotypes, acrylics, oils, hot rods, kustom kulture, pinstripes, tattoos, tiki stuff, chicago gangsters, vintage metal signs, screen printing, fabricating stuff with my hands, old school punk rock (the classic stuff, late 70's early 80's), 50's rockabilly, rock posters, 'zines, digital painting, etc...

      And seriously? That blog was updated in 2008. *giggle* Who am I to judge his blog? Mine is a total train wreck haha. Okay, soooo. I'll shuttup & let you look at some of my personal favorites from his massive array of art: