SassyBelle's Spotlight

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:44:47 PST

I love bananas but only when they have just turned from green to yellow. I do not like them once they have become dark and spotted and I had three that were looking like that. So, what does that mean? Time to use them in a baking recipe. I was getting ready to dig out a recipe I have used before but I decided to check my email first. There was an email of the latest post from one of my favorite blogs, The Farm Girl, and it was a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips! I said to hubby, "This is a sign I am supposed to bake today and use bananas". He just rolled his eyes at me! I checked the ingredients thinking I was going to have to go to the grocery store for at least one thing I did not have, but I was wrong. I had all the ingredients! That was sign number two! Whenever I am going to bake, I usually don't have enough butter in the refrigerator and have to take some out of the freezer and wait for it to thaw and soften. This recipe does not call for butter! Sign number three! So, I started baking and let me tell you the batter was so yummy I knew these muffins were going to be delicious! I made a few changes, some on purpose and some by accident and they still turned out perfect.

Here is the recipe that I cannot take credit for as I got it from The Farm Girl and at the end I will tell you what my changes were.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
6 tbsp. white sugar
6 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp.n salt
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp. plain fat-free yogurt (or sour cream)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips tossed in 1 tablespoon flour

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9X5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Add a strip of parchment paper or wax paper to bottom of loaf pan, also spraying with cooking spray, for easy removal.

2. In medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl; set aside. In bowl of a stand mixer, cream bananas, peanut butter, yogurt (or sour cream), egg, vanilla, and oil. Fold in flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain, then gently fold in chocolate chips.

3. Scrape batter into loaf pan. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; carefully remove from pan, removing paper from the bottom, and allow to cool completely on wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Source: For Goodness Sake

Here are my changes to the above recipe:

1. I made muffins instead of bread. I lined a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and baked them for 20 minutes. I ended up with 12 deliciously moist muffins!

2. I used creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy.

3. I used 2% Greek yogurt not fat free yogurt.

4. I used regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips not mini and I did not toss them with flour.

5. I accidentally added the brown sugar to the already creamed banana mixture so I had to cream the mixture again.

6. Rather than fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture, I mixed it in on the lowest speed of my stand mixer.

7. Rather than fold the chocolate chips into the batter, I mixed them in on the lowest speed of my stand mixer.

Enjoy!

Giveaway Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:11:00 PST

It's time for a giveaway and this one has four Etsy shops participating so that means there will be four winners and a chance for a bonus prize! Nesting Pretty is hosting the giveaway on her blog so head over there to enter (just click the word "giveaway" in this sentence)! Take a peek at the items you could win.

from My Lemonade Dreams

from Nesting Pretty

from SassyBelleWares

from The Blooming Thread

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales on Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:19:07 PST

Etsy is one of my absolute favorite places to shop for myself and for gifts. It's like a giant online mall with tons of stores all offering unique, sometimes OOAK (one of a kind) handcrafted items. You can also find awesome vintage items on Etsy. One of the reasons I love Etsy is because, in this crazy economy, it makes me happy to be able to support the "little guy" as opposed to the retail giants. I and some of my Etsy team members are having sales so be sure to check out these shops for some holiday shopping or a treat for yourself! Remember, Etsy shop owners are great at giving your shopping experience a personal touch so do not hesitate to contact any of these shop owners if you have questions or a special request.

I am having a sale in both of my shops, SassyBelleWares and SassyBelleButtons. For 20% of all orders through 11:59PM EST on Monday, 11/28/11, use code "BLACKCYBER20". The code can be used more than once but cannot be combined with other offers.

Gasparilla Pirate Ship 1947 vintage look necklace with Swarovski crystals from SassyBelleWares

Ho Ho Ho Christmas ponytail holder from SassyBelleButtons

Ellison Reed Stationery is having a sale on all Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years cards. They are marked down from $18.00 and are now $15.00. Backer design is included with the sale price. The sale is now through Cyber Monday (Nov. 28th, 2011).

Believe Christmas Card Design - DIY Printable from Ellison Reed Stationery

Glamour Puss Couture and Fabulously Flamboyant are each having a sale. Use code BLACKFRIDAY in both shops for 20% off now through Monday, 11/28/11.

I Love NY Taxi Necklace and Earring Set from Glamour Puss Couture

Candy Land Swarovski Crystal Cuff Bracelet from Fabulously Flamboyant

Crystalcat 1989 is having a sale from sale from now until Monday Nov. 28, 2011. Use code BLACKFRI20 for 20% off any order.

Spock Bookmark from Crystalcat 1989

Boo Boo Zoo is offering free domestic shipping until December 1, 2011.

Hand Warmers Happy Hands Heart Pocket Pals from Boo Boo Zoo

Brenny's Bibbies is having a sale from now through Monday, 11/28/11, at 11:59PM EST. Use code THANKS20 for 20% off all orders.

Felt Hamburger Set Play Food from Brenny's Bibbies

Revolution Co-Op is having a Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday Sale! Use code JINGLE for 20% off everything in the shop through Monday, 11/28/11.

A Mom & Dad Production Personalized Baby Onesie Bodysuit - White with choice of Pink, Blue or Green Type from Revolution Co-Op

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:27:49 PST

I was in a baking mood yesterday and decided to try a recipe I had found in Southern Living Magazine awhile back. They were super easy and yummy. I wish I would have thought to take pictures before hubby and I attacked them! Start by following the All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and when you get to the part of step 2 where you beat in the morsels, see the chocolate chip pretzel cookies directions under "flavor cravings"

Halloween with the DTeam

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:53:05 PDT

The best part about Halloween is the candy! The small snack size portions somehow make you feel less guilty about indulging even if you eat the entire bag. My faves in past years have been the mini Twix bars but this year I discovered peanut butter Snickers and all I can say is OMG!

My teammates on the DTeam have come up with some fun, less figure threatening Halloween treats that you can continue to use throughout the year, if you'd like. Take a peek and enjoy!

Grim Reaper guitar pick pendant from Susan Williams Designs

Spider Chainmaille necklace from Do Bats Eat Cats?

Skull earrings from Elephant Beads

Crystal Witch necklace from Glamour Puss Couture

Red Devil hat from Fiberpuppy

Halloween Party invitation from Miss Tan Designs

Pumpkin Poop from A Bit Creative

Witch's Brew ponytail holder from my shop SassyBelleButtons

Frankenstein and Bats necklace from my shop SassyBelleWares

For more DTeam goodness, visit the DTeam blog and facebook page.

DTeam Rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:27:51 PDT

Cookie Time

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:31:05 PDT

I love bananas but not when they are really ripe and have spotted skin. I usually freeze them when they get spots to use in smoothies or in my Yonanas machine, but I have enough frozen bananas so I decided to use the latest spotted crew for baking. I wasn't in a muffin or bread mood so I searched online for a cookie recipe using bananas and I found a perfect one called Oatmeal Banana Cookies (just click the name for the recipe)! They are super easy to make and if you like banana muffins you will love these. They are not super sweet so you feel like you are eating a healthy cookie. I think next time I make them I will add chocolate chips for a little bit of diet rebellion!

Fun Finds on Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:25:58 PDT

The Etsy team I am on, The Etsy D-Listers has some awesome talent! These are just a few of the shops that are part of the DTeam so take a peek and you might find some new faves!

Elephant Beads

Turquoise and Abalone: Memory Wire Bracelet with pink blue and sand Picasso seed beads

Judy's Designs

Organic Colorful Acai and Tagua Necklace on Leather

Susan Williams Designs

Guitar Pick Jewelry Pendant Skull Crossbones Red Pearloid

Nanny's Rose

Vintage Gumball Machine with Pedestal Base

Add Some Stitches

6-12 month Baby Girl Flower Hat- Pink and Orange

Crimson Mosquito

Fall Daisy Needle-Felt Brooch

Boo Boo Zoo

Frankie the Fish BooBoo Bag

DTeam Giveaway - 3 Prizes!

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:09:40 PDT

The Etsy D-Listers are having a giveaway and three prizes are up for grabs! Each prize is a cute storage box filled with items from the shops of various team members. Head over to the DTeam's blog to enter and you may be the lucky winner of one of the following prizes!

Christmas in July

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:16:33 PDT

The temperature outside may be scorching and Christmas may seem so far off but it's only five months away! Some fabulous Etsy shops are having Christmas in July sales making it very appealing to start your Christmas shopping now. Or, you can say you are starting your Christmas shopping and just buy something for yourself...I'll never tell!

I am having a sale at SassyBelleWares. Use code CIJ25 at checkout for 25% off all orders until July 31, 2011. Shipping is always free at SassyBelleWares!

Philadelphia Chestnut Street vintage look Swarovski crystal necklace

Guns and Roses pirate skull necklace

Do Bats Eat Cats? has already marked down their prices so no code is needed at checkout!

Love Never Dies chainmaille necklace - silver sugar skull with bright red rings - Reversible

Chainmaille octopus necklace on a turquoise blue and black chain

Nesting Pretty is offering 20% off your order until July 25, 2011, if you use code HOHOHO20 at checkout!

Rosemarie's Garden - Flower Bobby Pin Set

A Love Story - Vintage Jeweled Earrings

I've Been Baking Again

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:36:28 PDT

My Southern Living Best Loved Cookies cookbook is my new best friend. Today my new best friend helped me make Mississippi Mud Cookies. These were even easier to make than the Chunky Chocolate Gobs I wrote about on Monday! If you make these and share, I bet you will have a bunch of new best friends always begging you to make more!

Cookies for the Chocolate Obsessed

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:42:22 PDT

I tried a cookie recipe yesterday that I had never made before. They are crazy good and will definitely be something I bake over and over. Hubby loved them and wanted to have cookies and milk for dinner instead of real food! I made him take most of them to work today because I ate way too many yesterday and was in serious danger of eating the rest of them! The recipe for these is quite easy and if you would like to try them just click on their name...Chunky Chocolate Gobs.

New York, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:34:52 PDT

New York City is one of my obsessions. I love that city like no other place. There is never a shortage of things to do, it has an energy you cannot find in any other city, and it makes me smile every time I am there! If you feel the same way, take a peek at my collection of fabulous NYC items found on Etsy.

Sassy Springy Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:20:43 PDT

Ladybug Landing on Flower Polymer Clay Necklace by Shisa Knits and Clay

Abagail's Garden by Nesting Pretty

Lovely Shabby Chic Crystal Filled Birdcage Necklace by Glamour Puss Couture

1960's Vintage Floral Kimono 8 Inch Chained Kisslock Clutch by Kaleidoscope by Erin

Chartreuse Ranunculus Coral Calla Lilly Daisies Lavender Hydrangea Bridal Bouquet by Expressions Floral

A Dose of Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:01:54 PDT

I first met Bonnie from Aid for Abby when she featured one of my necklaces in a pink treasury. I took a peek at her shop and discovered a collection of amazing artwork created by Bonnie's daughter Abby who is autistic. I read their story which you can find underneath the Aid for Abby shop banner and in the profile section of the shop and what an inspirational, touching story it is. I am going to share some of my favorites from Aid for Abby and hope you will take the time to visit their shop and read their heartwarming story. You can also visit Aid for Abby on Give Forward and facebook.

Aid for Abby - Original Painting by Child with Autism, Language Disorder and OCD - 899

Aid for Abby - Original Painting by Child with Autism, Language Disorder and OCD - 829

Aid for Abby - Original Painting by Child with Autism, Language Disorder and OCD - 824

Aid for Abby - Original Painting with Accents by Child with Multiple Disabilities - 821

Aid for Abby - Original Painting by Child with Autism, Language Disorder and OCD - 755

And the Winner of the Black Magic Studio Giveaway is...

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:21:41 PDT

Congrats peripatetic33 for winning the Black Magic Studio giveaway!! Thanks to all of you who entered!

Giveaway from Black Magic Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:39:20 PDT

Black Magic Studio is filled with fabulous pieces of jewelry! If you pop in to take a peek, you will find original, one of a kind, handmade designs as well as vintage pieces. Black Magic Studio is giving away this awesome pair of earrings:

Enter to win these earrings by visiting Black Magic Studio and finding your favorite item. Copy the link and post it in a comment here with an email address you can be reached at in the event you are the winner. This is the only mandatory entry.

For extra entries you may do as many of the following as you choose. Leave a separate comment for each extra entry and don't forget your contact email:

-follow Black Magic on Twitter http://twitter.com/BlackMagicJewel

-follow Black Magic's blog http://blackmagicstudio.blogspot.com/

-favorite Black Magic Studio http://www.blackmagicstudio.etsy.com/

-follow this blog

-subscribe to this blog via email

This giveaway will run through Thursday, March 31, 2011 and a winner will be announced Friday, April 1, 2011. Open to residents of the US only.

Good Luck!

A Chance to Win a Shoe Sassy!

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:59:25 PDT

UPDATE: Congratulations to Connie K who won the shoe ring! Connie is an extremely talented artist with a fabulous shop on Etsy. Thanks to all who entered the givewaway!

The shoe rings at SassyBelleWares are some of my favorite pieces to make! Every time I wear one of the two that I made for myself, I always get compliments. I think the best part about these shoes is that they are guaranteed not to ever hurt your feet! Elizabeth from Lizbeth's Garden is hosting a giveaway on her blog and you can win the shoe sassy shown below! The ring is adjustable so no need to worry about sizing. There is one mandatory entry and five optional extra entries so you can have six chances to win! Head over to Lizbeth's Garden blog now and enter! Good Luck!

Sassy Trivia...You Could Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:30:34 PDT

CONGRATULATIONS TO PIXIE WHO WON THIS CONTEST FASTER THAN LIGHTNING!

Who sang these words and what is the name of the song they are from?:
"...You can like the life you're living
You can live the life you like..."

Hint: It is not a real person but a character.

Leave a comment with your 2 part answer.:
1-who sang the words (remember it is a character name)
2-the name of the song
Also, leave your email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.
You may guess as many times as you want.
The first person who comments with the correct answer wins a $20.00 credit to SassyBelleWares!
There will be only one winner.
The contest will end Friday, March 18, 2011 at noon (12PM) Eastern time unless someone answers correctly before then.
If there is a winner prior to the deadline, I will announce the winner before the deadline.
If no one answers correctly by the time of the deadline, I will give the correct answer shortly after the deadline.
Good Luck!

The Versatile Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:50:02 PST

Thanks to Michelle of Grape Vine Ceramics for the nice surprise of giving me a Versatile Blogger Award! Michelle is one of my teammates on the Etsy D-Listers team. Michelle's shop has some awesome pieces, my favorites being the sunflowers, and her blog is also a great place to visit! The fun part of this award is that I get to pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers!

RULES:

-Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
-Tell 7 Random facts about yourself.
-Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers.
-Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you've done so, and let the giver of your award know you accept it.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:
-I was never crafty when I was younger. My craftiness has appeared with old age!
-I love Broadway shows, especially musicals and would be happy to see one every day!
-I love reading so much I always have a book with me. You never know when you may have to wait somewhere!
-I am obsessed with handbags!
-Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake ice cream is my new favorite flavor!
-I could live off of real mac and cheese (not the box kind) and cupcakes!
-When deciding on what restaurant to go to, the cocktail menu is often the deciding factor!

MY FAVE BLOGS:
La Belle Vie Designs
Nesting Pretty
Glamour Puss Couture
Simply Clutch
My Lemonade Dreams
Signs and Salvage
Meg's Crochet Jewels
Chasing Cars
Nerd Jerk
Black Magic Studio
ad87
NEL
Julie Ellyn Designs
Live and Let Craft

The Etsy D-Listers Team

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:49:57 PST

The Etsy community has many different teams that have formed for various reasons. Joining a team is a great way for sellers to meet other sellers, to collaborate with sellers who have the same interests, to learn the ins and outs of selling on Etsy, to gain shop exposure, etc. I am on The Etsy D-Listers team which is an awesome group of talented sellers who have come together to form a friendly, positive environment where all members can feel at ease in asking for advice, critiques, help, support, etc. We have a relaxed atmosphere that combines friendly chatting with sharing ideas and information. Our members range from newbies to oldies and this combination is beneficial to all in continuing to grow as sellers.

We have a new team blog that was created by one of our members, Allison from Designing Impressions. The DTeamers would love it if you stopped by and started following us. Our blog is a great place to learn more about the sellers that make up our team, win fab items from the different shops, get information on sales and discounts, and lots more! Currently there is a giveaway running and you could win a gorgeous tote from Simply Clutch. We also have a DTeam mall that will give you direct access to the shops of our memebers just by clicking on the different logos. You can also find us on facebook for more information.

our fabulous logo was created by one of our members, Jucel at Haute Cards

Archimedes is from Designing Impressions

the tote you could win from Simply Clutch

DTeam Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:03:20 PST

Whooo Am I?

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:41:44 PST

Designing Impressions has created a new product line, The Guild of Good Luck Owls. Every time one of the adorable owls is introduced, I can't help but smile as the backgound story for each critter is as cute as the owl itself! A peek at any of these cuties reveals that, "The Guild of Good Luck Owls was established to connect owls with humans and promote good will as well as good luck." I will share some of my faves but you must visit Designing Impressions to meet your personal favorites!

Sidonie

Stella

Rosemarie

Barry

Spotlight on Do Bats Eat Cats?

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:15:56 PST

Do Bats Eat Cats? is a cool shop that taught me something. Gothic jewelry is not scary or creepy it is cool mixed with pretty. I had this misconception of gothic pieces and Do Bats cleared that up for me! This awesome shop is filled with Gothic, Victorian, Renaissance Faire, and chainmaille pieces. If you do not see exactly what you want ask for a custom piece. I did and I absolutely love it!

How did you get started on Etsy?

An acquaintance told me that she'd started selling her handmade clothing on Etsy. I'd never heard of the site so I went to check it out to support her, and immediately registered as a shopper. Before long, I realized, "I can do this!" I figured it was a way of supporting my bead habit. And, it just grew from there!

What was your inspiration for your shop?
I love skulls, bats, spiders, and all things dark and gothic, so that seemed like the logical direction for my shop. I'm also inspired by works of literature and my shop currently has pieces inspired by Neil Gaiman, Wicked, and Alice in Wonderland.

What pushes you to want to create something?
Any number of things! A big deadline, for one. A bad day at my day job also makes me want to create something, and work harder on my shop in general! Or, just seeing a bead, or a charm, or some other random jewelry finding and hearing my inner goth girl go "oooh, pretty!"

How do you unwind when you're not creating?
I am something of a foodie and am fortunate to live in a city that has great and cheap ethnic restaurants, so my boy and I try and get out for a good meal fairly regularly. If it's warm out, we like to walk down to Lake Michigan and sit by the water -- it's impossible to feel stressed out there!

What is your fantasy job?
Making a living through my craft. Failing that, travel writer, so I could get paid to wander the globe!

If money was no object and you could live wherever you want, where would that be?
I'd keep my home in Chicago for the summers and also buy a big house with a front porch somewhere warm for the winter -- perhaps in Hawaii or New Orleans. I'd also have a funky loft somewhere in downtown New York City.

What is your best childhood memory?
When I was in around the 5th grade, my parents got me involved in a kids' musical theater class. I was a total misfit and outcast in school, but I really blossomed on stage and gained a lot of confidence. I really do believe that performing saved me!

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid? As an adult, if you stumble upon it while channel surfing now would you stop & watch?
I loved Scooby Doo as a kid. Unfortunately, I don't think it's stood the test of time. My boyfriend and I recently netflixed it and we were shocked at how cheesy and just not-funny it was to us now.

What is your favorite kind of cupcake?
The best cupcake I ever had was the vegan chocolate raspberry cupcake from the Bleeding Heart Bakery, an organic bakery here in Chicago. Pretty much anything chocolate works for me, though! As long as it's got the good buttercream frosting and not that sugary frothy crap that they use in the grocery stores.

Do you have a secret guilty pleasure?
Lately, thanks to a few friends, I've become addicted to post-apocalyptic young adult fiction. I got hooked on the Hunger Games series (government forces children to participate in an annual fight to the death in an arena, which is televised and everyone's forced to watch it), and the Uglies series (at the age of 16 everyone's forced to have an operation to make them conventionally beautiful, which of course has hidden repercussions that no one is told about). I know these are written for teenagers but I've been enjoying them greatly! My college English-lit professors would NOT be impressed.

What are 3 things you are so obsessed with it is torture to ever say no to.
1-Coffee
2-Chainmaille supplies. (I really have to discipline myself to buy only NEEDS, not WANTS, in this area or else I would go broke!)
3-Handmade bath products, especially if they smell like baked goods!

Do you have a favorite author? When you read, do you use a proper bookmark, bend the page, or grab anything handy to mark your place?
Neil Gaiman and Laurell K. Hamilton are consistently among my favorites. Usually I grab whatever piece of scrap paper is handy and use it as a bookmark -- it's usually a receipt of some sort.

What are 3 of your favorite Etsy shops?
1- Zen and Coffee Designs -gorgeous goth and steampunk arm warmers
2- Rose Mortem -drool-worthy dresses
3- Natasha Blue -hand painted Day of the Dead artwork by a fellow Chicagoan

Where can we find you online?
Etsy: Do Bats Eat Cats?
Facebook: Do Bats Eat Cats?
Twitter: DoBats Eat Cats?

my custom chainmaille bracelet

Skull and crossbones chainmaille bracelet in aluminum - European 4 in 1 weave

Chainmaille octopus necklace - silver and bright blue Byzantine weave

Bright red chainmaille necklace with heart-shaped locket

Queen of Hearts charm bracelet - gothic Alice in Wonderland - black, silver, red

Huge gothic earrings with bats, skulls, and blue and purple Swarovski crystals

My Superpower is Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Steph) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:06:56 PST

My friend Tam from Nesting Pretty turned me on to My Lemonade Dreams, a blog from Tiffany of an Etsy shop by the same name. I was reading one of Tiffany's posts in which she wrote about an amazing talent she has. She asked if any of the readers have any amazing talents they wanted to share. I commented that I did not have an amazing talent but that shopping is my superpower. And a lightbulb went off (shouldn't that be turned on) in my head. Why don't I write a post that shares some of my favorite things I have "collected" using my superpower?! Thanks, Tiffany, for your inspiration! If only I had a cape to wear when I spring into action!

The Broken Plate Pendant Company is one of my new obsessions! I LOVE these two pieces I have obtained using my superpower. I think I will wear them to the next Happy Hour gathering of superpower peeps!

Tam is partly responsible for my wielding my superpower at Signs and Salvage. She introduced me to the shop but I conquered it on my own! I found lots of things I liked there and then sent Kristin a message to ask if she would make a custom sign for me. She said absolutely so look at this super cute, fun, and sassy sign that now hangs in my kitchen! Sassy Juice is my name for cocktails.

A girl's gotta eat when she is working so hard droppin' in on shop after shop slingin' her superpower skills! I couldn't take the chance that my all important energy stores might deplete! So I enlisted the help of Kim from Sweet Vegan Delight. I figured she would know how to keep my energy up as she works hard running not only Sweet Vegan but also Expressions Floral . My choice of fuel was her delicious Snickerdoodles. She also gave me samples of her Dark Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Butter Fudge and both were amazing!

This awesomely cool bracelet from Do Bats Eat Cats? is actually one of my secret weapons that allows me to use my superpower for hours and hours without ever stopping at home to drop off my loot. A twist of one of the rings (I can't tell you which one 'cause then I'd have to erase your memory!) produces a bag to store all my purchases. Then I make sure the bag is securely tied closed and a twist of another ring (you know I can't tell you which one) sends the bag directly to my house so I can continue on my spree.

One of the keys to successful use of my superpower is to store the necessities in a small, lightweight yet sturdy case. The all important ATM card, credit card, and Metro card fit perfectly in this cute card holder from The Lime Grasshopper

I am not completely selfish when I am out superpowering! I always make sure to get treats for the woofs. They love the gourmet treats from Mynski and Libelle Too and I gotta tell you, they smelled so yummy I thought maybe they were people treats!

After a long day of making sure I have used my superpower to help stimulate the economy, I like to treat myself to my fave bath and body products and then relax with a good book. Bungalow Bath and Body has fabulous pamper yourself goodies and Deborah Julian Cards and Prints has the book!