Spiffy Stuff

Fun New Fad

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

One word:

Pinterest is not Etsy (and for some reason I can totally envision the staffs from each website having a bunch of melee rumbles whenever they run into each other at the local ice cream parlor), and this blog is about Etsy, but I can't help but discuss Pinterest here because it has take up so much of my precious, precious time lately.

I had been hearing about Pinterest for quite some time now and even got an invite to join. I looked around and was like, "What's the point," and went back to Facebook. Then one day I was looking at my blog stats and noticed that I had a few referring hits from Pinterest, so my interest was finally peaked. To top it all off a friend on Facebook mentioned it and I finally caved, so when she offered to send an invite I said, "Okay." Oh, how many hours I've wasted since then!

Now that I've been on Pinterest I see what all the hullabaloo is about. Basically, it's a place online where you can keep track of all the cool decorating ideas, sweet alcoholic mixed drink recipes, and pictures of kittens and ducks snuggling--all in one place. You can have separate boards for each topic so you can keep your interests organized. You follow other people to see what they "pin" to their boards and if you like it, you can repin it to your board. What I like about it is it gives me a place to save the things I like that aren't on Etsy. That's how I'm trying to justify being on there when I should be writing a blog post, and I make it a point to not pin anything from Etsy onto my Pinterest account (I've failed once or twice but my Pinterest account remains a mostly/primarily Etsy-free zone)--that's what this place is for!

Anyway, feel free to follow my Pinterest account (I'm going to try to add a widget somewhere on here just for kicks so readers can get to know me and my tastes better):

http://pinterest.com/spiffysilpion

Last but not least, harkening back to my first paragraph, who do you think would win in Grudge Match: Etsy vs. Pinterest?

Thanks for reading. :)

2012: The Year of Invincibility

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:12:00 +0000

YES! That's right. I shall be totes invincible this year! A special thanks to Sylvia of aivly85 for sending me THESE...

... in appreciation for featuring her Nintendo Stars on my Nergeedor post back in October last year. I feel awesome just looking at them! The box is 1 inch square and came chock full of (18) invincibility-granting stars.

While I'm thanking one person for sending me some swag for thanking me for featuring their work on my blog, how about I thank another person!

For featuring one of her pendants on my The leaves are falling post last November, Tiffany from Lizabettas let me pick one of her pendants for my very own. Any pendant! I chose this Origami Floral Necklace:

... so now I feel pretty in addition to feeling invincible. ;) Search her shop for "Asian" and you can find one of your own.

Thanks a whole bunch peeps! 2012 is off to a great start!

2011: Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

So. 2011 felt like a dozy of a year! Here's a bit of a wrap-up for me, blog-wise anyway:

Blogging Lessons Learned

These might seem obvious to you, dear reader, but I still feel pretty new to this whole blogging thing...

Pics: Apparently, it really, really helps your exposure, views, etc. if you have lots and lots of pictures on your blog. When ever I check the stats for Spiffy Stuff, it looks like most people land on the blog because they're looking for something specific, or pictures of something specific like a "cast iron bathtub chair" or "knitting Vader pattern" or even "pixie dust in a jar." One can definitely find images of these things on my blog (which I keep typing as golb--dyslexic much today?). So, that's cool. Pics--check!
Blog Post Titles: They matter. I usually have the urge to name my posts something strange or misleading like this post or this post, but honestly, the posts with the most obvious names seem to get the most views. For example, I wrote a blog post dedicated to the publication of George R. R. Martin's latest book, "A Dance with Dragons," and named that post "A Dance with Dragons." It has had 689 views since I published it August 1st. However, the most popular post here remains "Domo" with currently 1,496 views since being published March 11th.
Post Frequency: Doesn't necessarily matter. I think. What I mean is, I set out to write this blog just to have a place to show off and write about the awesome things I found on Etsy. I've never thought that warranted daily or even weekly posts. I just kind of do this on my own time whenever the fancy strikes. If I were writing this as a professional writer trying to tout my skillz, that would be one thing, but I'm not. I'm just here to have fun. And even though I didn't make one post each and every week (which would have meant 35 posts for the year), still ended up writing more than that many posts and then some: 47 lip-smacking posts for 2011! That's more than double the posts I made the year I started, 2010 (22 posts). I'm pretty happy with those numbers. I'll strive to post more this year, but we'll just have to see how that goes.
Giveaways: I sort of started this blog in order to do giveaways, but now that I've done a couple, I kind of feel like I have more fun just posting about cool finds. I'll definitely do more giveaways in the future, but I don't think I'll stress about finding/arranging my next one. When the next opportunity presents itself, I'll jump on it, but until then I'm content to just float around Etsy looking for more fun things to write about.

Favorite Posts of 2011

Narrowing this list down was harder than I imagined it would be! Anyway, here are my top 5 favorite posts from 2011 in no particular order:

A Dance with Dragons: I really have to admit that I was looking forward to writing this post almost as much as I was looking forward to the release of the book. It was fun finding Etsy items that went with the most powerful houses of Westeros. I think I did a pretty good job, and apparently, a lot of people are led to the blog looking for House Arryn, Baratheon, or Martell info. So that's fun too. GRRM fans unite!
It rhymes with Duke...: Can you really blame me for writing a post about puke? Just the concept was fun and I managed to avoid getting into Regretsy territory by finding things that weren't wholly disgusting.
Mr. Izzard: The Boyfriend and I watched a couple of Eddie Izzard comedy specials on Netflix this year and I was hooked! This was such a fun post to write, not only because it gave me the opportunity to post some of his best jokes here, but because finding items to go along with those jokes was a trip. Faux Taxidermy Giraffe, come on! (Although it appears that the link to the video about his Being Raised by Wolves bit has gone bad. I'll see if I can't find another one...)
GIVEAWAY: Dragonpop: Not only did this giveaway post allow me to introduce an awesome shop to a wider audience, but I feel like I made a friend here too. So that's pretty darn fantastic. :D
Shredded Goodness: And you HAD TO KNOW I was going to pick this one as a favorite! Pulling the getaway car prank at your sibling's wedding doesn't happen all too often, and I'm glad I was able to find away to connect the prank to some Etsy gear to dish about it. Such devilish fun!

Thus ends this year in review. Last year was good and this year seems to be off to a pretty darn good start (see my next post for more details)...

December: Month of the Monster?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

I think part of me must already be going through that dratted S.A.D. or something because this week, I have just felt so rotten and grumpy. I thought, Maybe I need to work myself into a Christmassy fervor! So, my plan was to make a post about awesome Christmas wreathes I found on Etsy.com. I even found five I liked! However, after today, a real doozie of a day, I decided to see if there were any "Christmas Monster" things on Etsy. Sure enough, there were! So with my Zombie Christmas Cards and now Christmas Monsters, I seem to be inadvertently changing general feel and meaning of December to be The Month of the Monster. Really, this isn't intentional. It just seems to be working out that way...

Merry Monster YULE Plush Toy

Cost: $23

Shop: Pink Sprinkles Plush

I thought I'd start out with a nice, cuddly, monster doll. There are plenty of awesome monster plushies in this shop. There's even a Santa monster doll. For some reason I felt drawn to this plushie more. It's probably because of his goofy stare and single tooth. Such cuteness!

Custom Made to Order Monster Super Hero Christmas Stocking

Cost: $33

Shop: Doves Nest Designs

Not only monsters but super heroes! It's about time somebody recognized the innate goodness and useful abilities monsters have (except for the good folks at Pixar who made Monsters Inc.)! If The Boyfriend and I were to ever get matching stockings, I would have to insist on some of these. :)

EDIT: These appear to have sold between when I started writing this post (Monday) and when I finished it (today, A.K.A. Friday).

Guy Monster Christmas Ornament Fake Cupcake for photography session props or girls and boys rooms decoration

Cost: $12.99

Shop: Shimrita

Aww! These are so sweet! I'm also impressed how real they look. Not as monsters mind you, but as cupcakes. I'd decorate my tree with these little fellas. *nods*

Furry Hoilday Christmas Monster Sweatshirt

Cost: $49.95

Shop: So So Hippo

If you're in need of a good, creative sweater to wear to one of those "Ugly Christmas Sweater" parties, I've got one for you! Don't get me wrong--I don't think this is ugly. I think it's awesome. It makes me want to scream "MIKE WAZOWSKI!!!" at the top of my lungs. :D

Christmas Finger Puppets, red & green (5-pack)

Cost: $16

Shop: Chasing My Star

AHA! The PERFECT accoutrement to a Christmas Monster Storytime! Yes, there are in fact children’s picture books that are about Christmas and Monsters simultaneously. Such as:

Monster Graphic Novels: Monster Christmas by Lewis Trondheim

Santa Claws by Laura Leuck

Help Children! The Monsters Kidnapped Santa Claus by Irene Wreggelsworth This is a bilingual tale that can frighten children in English or Spanish. ;)

I'll try to abandon my monster theme for next post. I got the idea for this post on Monday when I was feeling like a bit of a monster myself, but now it's Friday and I don't feel so bad. It's amazing how it just being Friday can improve one's mood! Also, I've got some nice wreathes picked out. So, hopefully I'll have a more traditional Christmas post ready for you next time.

Thanks for reading!

Zombie Christmas Card Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:46:00 +0000

So, in order to know how many cards to purchase I sent out my usual, "Who wants a Zombie Christmas Card this year?" shout out over Facebook. I haven't received many replies so far compared to previous years, so I thought I'd make a post here about the cards I'm deciding on, since I haven't quite settled on one to buy yet. To whet your zombie holiday appetite here are some potential candidates:

Girls and Cats and Zombies NEW Zombie Plague Holiday Cards (set of 20)

Cost: $16

Shop: Tinaseamonster

I started this whole Zombie Christmas Card tradition with the Zombie Plague Holiday Cards from this shop. The cards are great, reasonably priced, and the seller is awesome and doesn't appear to be annoyed with me when I inevitably have to come back to her shop after making my large purchase and say, "Dangit, I need to order more!" This one is cute and is pretty deceptive. It's the closet Zombie Christmas Card for those recipients who might not like to receive a Zombie Christmas Card (like grandparents or religious zealots)! I can imagine some people glancing at this card thinking, "Oh, isn't that precious?" When in reality, the girl is planning to throw her beloved cat to the wolves (well, zombies, of course)!

Gift-giving Zombie Christmas cards (set of 10)

Cost: $10

Shop: Lizard in the Bath

The Boyfriend was poking around Etsy and found these. Look! Such a selfless gift--he's giving you a part of his brain (or, peaceably, a piece of his mind)! The advantage this card has is I wouldn't have to think of something clever to write for the inside of the card because it isn't blank. Plus, the zombie is wearing sneakers. That's pretty cute. Even if parts of his brain are sticking out and his gift is drippping with gore. SNEAKERS!

Zombie Christmas Cards Personalized Holiday Card

Cost: $15

Shop: Whatever Fits

This design is actually my favorite this year, however, this isn't for a set of cards. It's to purchase the high resolution 5x7 jpeg image file--and you do the printing yourself. The image can be personalized, however, I love it just the way it is. But to pay $15 for the image and then have to shell out even more to print them myself... don't know. I've never printed out anything at a public kiosk like at Walgreens or what-have-you, so I'm not sure how expensive it would be to print out 30 or so cards. *shrug* Still considering this one though. It's not out of the race yet!

Old St. Zombie

Cost: $2

Shop: JamieBert by JamieLatendresse

Heh heh. I just found this one tonight and it really makes me giggle! I'm not sure if I like the regular guy or Santa more but this one is just awesome!

This card is priced for one card so I'd have to convo the seller to ask how much for more (I usually end up buying around 30)...

Ugliest Zombie Plague Christmas Card Ever (set of 10)

Cost: $8

Shop: Tinaseamonster

LMAO! I love, love, LOVE this card! The Boyfriend hates it, but I LOVE IT. Again, this is from the same shop I've always ordered from and it's well-priced. I would probably not even put anything on the inside of this card! The front just speaks for itself. You would just have to pay attention to the envelope to know it was mine, or logic would simply tell you that since it's a Zombie Christmas Card, it's from me.

The dilemma I face now is to CHOOSE. Honestly, I feel like such a traitor even considering not buying cards from Tinaseamonster this year because I really do love her cards, but the zombie Christmas Card thing is really catching on, and there's more to pick from now.

This isn't an offer to vote on which card I should purchase. More like an attempt to get more people to say, "Oooh! I want a card this year!" I really do look forward sending these cards out each December and for a while I was afraid I'd be too broke to afford to do it this year. Luckily, The Boyfriend is a true keeper. When I told him I was worried about not being able to send out zombie cards this year, he offered to pay for them and said, "I really like that you do that too." :)

So anyway, Facebook friends in particular--now you see what you could possibly get in the mail this year. If you want a card, send me your address via private message and I'll make sure you get one.

Thanks for reading folks!

Shredded Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:20:00 +0000

*giggles with mischievous delight*

So.

To recap, last year I made a post dedicated to my sister's pending wedding which featured bridal fascinators. You can see that post: HERE.

--A year passes... la, la, la...--

One day in late September I was at work talking with a co-worker about her wedding, and she told me about the getaway car prank that her husband's groomsman played on her car. They saran-wrapped it, layering the plastic wrap with shaving cream, and then collected all the bags of leaves they could find in the neighborhood and dumped them all on her car. When she came out during the reception she said, "Hey! Where's my..." and then noticed the huge lump of leaves where her car was. It was COMPLETELY COVERED by the leaves! She then said nonchalantly, "I'm not cleaning that up," and left her new husband to clean up the mess with minimal help from the responsible groomsmen. HA HA!

I was inspired! In spite of the getaway car prank usually being administered by the groomsman, I didn't know what was going on with my sister's groomsmen so I thought I ought to take on this responsibility for myself. I started looking up pranks to play on the getaway car at my sister's wedding (because I didn't want to do the usual thing, drawing penises all over it and plastering the car with condoms--no thank you!). I found a post that talked about filling a car with packaging peanuts. I wondered out loud, "Where the heck can I get that many packing peanuts?" Then my co-worker said, "Just use shredded paper! We've got it here and there are other places in the library that shred paper too." It was GENIUS! So, for two weeks I had 3 departments around the library sending me their paper shreddings. I knew I would need a lot, because I assumed they would be driving my sister's car from the wedding, and she drives a Chevy HHR. Which is a big car.

The week before the wedding, I got an email from the matron of honor about my sister's bachelorette party. I said I wouldn't be going, but needed a co-conspirator for a getaway car prank that "won't be icky or gross but it will be impressive." Basically, to ensure that all the shredded paper wouldn't go completely to waste, I needed a way to get my sister's car keys during the wedding reception. To my great relief, she agreed and said, "I'm totally in! I'll feel it out and we'll get it done!! Thanks for stepping up in that!" With her assurances, all I had to do now was wait for the bags of shredded paper to come piling in!

Now a break to bring you your regularly scheduled Etsy goodness...

I wanted to find shredded paper goods on Etsy, but most of those were of the craft supply persuasion. I didn't just want to post, "Hey! Blue shredded paper! Here, some purple shredded paper!" Nah. I did come across lots of shredded clothing, most of it I didn't find to my particular liking. However, I did find plenty of shredded scarves, so here you go:

Scarf, Blue Braided, Tshirt Scarf

Cost: $17

Shop: Keywheat Kreations

Shredded and braided--I like this scarf. It's simple but fun. I love the color.

Upcycle Recycled Repurposed Tshirt Fringe Scarf

Cost: $8

Shop: Jumble-Bee

I like how wild and tribal this fringe scarf looks. But the colors are such that it would go well with just a t-shirt and jeans. A+

Handmade Art Yarn Scarf - Carnivale

Cost: $50

Shop: Jenny Fields Fiber

I love this scarf! It's so raw and wild and beautiful. Stuff like this makes me wish my wardrobe were more bohemian so I could pull off more bohemian accessories like this. So awesome! Should I say bohemian again? Bohemian!!!

Shredded, Braided, Fringed, Jersey, Eternity Scarf

Cost: $29

Shop: Johnny Vegas Originals

Wowzers! There are over 200 items in this shop, so much eye candy, and some of the dye jobs on the shirts are amazing!

It was really hard to pick out a scarf from here but I decided on this one because it kind of looks like you'd be wearing an octopus. :P Plus, the purple is pretty.

Shredded Tshirt Upcycled Scarf - Infinity Style in a Deep Purple - Mommy Necklace

Cost: $16.50

Shop: HeartPrim

While I love this scarf (yet another great shade of purple!), I also love the refurbished antique furniture. Most definitely check out this shop!

Now, back to the wedding shenanigans...

So, by the day of the wedding, I had collected 20 bags of shredded paper, most of which were very large and 5 of the bags or so contained cross-shredded paper (basically confetti, as opposed to shredded strips). My boyfriend and I had to drive separately to the zoo, where the wedding would be held, because only half of the bags fit in my car, the rest had to go in his. When we got to the zoo, I started stressing out--Where the F was her car? I didn't see her car anywhere! So, we did the only thing we could do, and headed in for the wedding. We stopped by the pavilion where my sister and her bridal party were getting ready, and as some of us were taking purses to the building where the actual wedding would take place, the matron of honor said, "Karen's coming back with me." That scared me half to death! She's not driving away in her own car, what?!? Turns out she must have meant that my sister wasn't leaving that pavilion yet, as opposed to there had been a change of plans as to what car my sister would be leaving the whole shindig in, but at the time I didn't know that, and was stressing out even more.

However, the wedding happened, the reception happened... and the matron of honor pulled me over and said she'd get me the keys shortly and asked what I was going to do. I told her, "Fill her car with 20 bags of shredded paper." She responded with a nod that kind of said, "Hmm, okay." And a few minutes later she sneakily put the keys in my possession. I asked her where my sister's car was and she pointed right outside of the exit (this building was almost entirely glass mind you) and said, "I think that's it!" Then The Boyfriend and I switched into high gear!

First we thought, "Crap! Her car is right there, how are we going to get this done without them seeing?" We just shoved that thought aside and asked the caterers how we could park back there, and they told us to drive to the service entrance, tell them we were with the wedding party, and we would get buzzed back. So, we hopped on a golf cart which ferried us to the front entrance of the zoo, hopped into our cars, and raced to the service entrance.

Sure enough, we were buzzed in! You know those scenes in movies where you have little cars driving to and fro frantically? They're usually chasing one another, but picture a yellow car and an orange car zipping through the labyrinthine roads in the non-public areas of the zoo--that was us. Until security stopped us. Then we told them we were trying to make our way back to the wedding and they escorted us the rest of the way. When we were almost there, my brother called me and said, "Where are you? They're about to come out!" Ahh!

A moment later, we arrive and park next to my sister's HHR, on the opposite side from the building. My dad and brother were out there waiting for us, my dad just having a smoke. I kick off my high heeled shoes, open my car trunk, open Karen's front door--it turned out to be unlocked anyway-- and frantically try to figure out how to open the car's trunk. My dad jumped in and I think he was the one who figured out how to open it. But he and my brother were outside with us, cracking up as The Boyfriend and I frantically tore open the plastic bags, and dumped them into her car. It was filled pretty meticulously. And quickly I might add! From when we got the keys to when we finished emptying out bags (actually, we ran out of time, people started lining up outside and we ran out of room in the car's main cabin, I had to stuff the last 4-5 full bags into the trunk area of the car), and moved our cars down the road aways, only 5-10 minutes had passed! The result of which was:

A TOTALLY FULL CAR!!!

The goofy, "I HATE YOU!" look.

The cleanup.

LMFAO! People cracked up! My mom loved it so much that later she called the grandparents who left early to tell them about it, and they called me the day after that to congratulate me! The Boyfriend and I, my dad, one of the groomsman, and several caterers did the cleaning. They loved the prank and were thankful that we helped clean and said we left less of a mess for them than many other parties they've had to clean up after, so that was cool. No muss, no fuss, no regrets!

Anyway, so that's how that went.

Have you been married and experienced a wedding prank? Ever pulled a wedding prank? Do tell. Post a comment. :)

Thanks for reading!

Occupy Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 07:29:00 +0000

Unless you've been living under a rock for a few months, you've heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement. If you have been living under a rock, basically, it's a movement about opposing the corporate greed that has been helping to stifle the American economy and further the economic disparity between the rich and the poor. It's about many, MANY other things too.*

(One problem I have with the movement is there doesn't seem to be a consensus about what the protesters should ask for, i.e. what's the main purpose of the protests? What do they hope to accomplish? Lots of people want lots of different things [such as single-payer universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness and/or make college education free, the restoration of the living wage, racial and gender equal rights amendments, tax reform etc. the list goes on], and that can harm the effectiveness of their message.)

However, I do wish the protesters luck and hope they can change things, because they only want to make the world a better, more equitable place for us all.

Because of my night job I don't get to watch much of the national news before I head out in the evenings, but I Monday evening before work, I was shocked, SHOCKED when I saw images of the pepper spraying that went on at campus at UC Davis:

Call me crazy but I have never seen pepper spray bottles larger than what you can buy at a sporting good store for self-defense. You know, the kind that fit nicely in your pocket or in the palm of your hand. What these officers used on the protesters looked like spray paint cans, I couldn't believe how large they were! I can't say enough how much this whole thing shocked and bothered me. More so because everything I have read or watched about this particular event shows that it was an entirely peaceful protest. The officers' lives weren't in danger. This was definitely excessive force. It was so awful to watch, even through a TV screen.

Anyway, yes, there is an Etsy tie-in to this. Crafty folk on Etsy have started making plenty of gear for protesting, or art to document the protests. I thought I would share some Etsy items that have been a time-honored part of protesting since, well, since buttons were invented: protest buttons!

ANTI GARLIC VAMPIRE

Cost: $1

Shop: Jera Sky Customs

I thought I'd start with something small and cute. While not technically about the OWS movement, it's pretty sweet nonetheless.

Yoda 99% PIN

Cost: $1.99

Shop: Psychedelic Tara's Groovy Gift Emporium

Of course I love anything Yoda related since I'm such a nerd, but this does actually represent the OWS movement. Yoda would SO be against corporate greed, etc.!

Occupy Wall Street - We are 99% - Anonymous Occupy the Streets Set

Cost: $6

Shop: Discordia Culture Shop

I love how the Guy Fawkes mask has become a symbol in this movement.

Occupying from the Interwebs BUTTON

Cost: $5

Shop: ICantBeThereButICare

This looks like a brand-spankin'-new shop. It only opened a few weeks ago. It only has two Occupy buttons for sale. There are no shop policies. Hmm.

Oh well! I like this button (and the other one he has for sale too) anyway.

You Know Things Are Messed Up When Librarians Start Marching pinback button badge

Cost: $2

Shop: ArtLife

This button was inspired by a protest sign at one of the Occupy protests: PIC HERE. I also happen to work in a library, but am not a professional librarian.

Thank you to the protesters for having the guts to speak out!

Thank you to my readers for reading!

Have a leisurely weekend folks!

*Need I remind my dear readers of the disclaimer I post in the About Me section of this blog that says that the opinions expressed here do not reflect my place of employment?

GNOME

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Does anybody else remember that old cartoon about "The World of David the Gnome"? I DO. It was a big part of my daily routine before 1st grade. I believe that watching this show is what started my fascination with gnomes and other gnome related things. And maybe The Hobbit. Anyway! If you're not familiar with the show, you can watch the show's opening below, thanks to The YouTube:

So, more than a year has passed since I last attempted a search for garden gnomes (don't ask me why I abandoned the search--I love gnome stuff!), and since it's fall and gardens really aren't a priority now, I did a search for just gnomes and found some really cute stuff:

Garden Gnome Ornament

Cost: $10

Shop: The Quirky Artist Loft

He's so cute!

And he's got a little protest sign behind him. I'm not sure if he's against evil candy corn or just mean looking triangle guys, but the gnome is adorable. I want to get a Christmas tree this year just to have a place for this ornament!

G is for Gnome Pack

Cost: $15

Shop: a fAvorite design

Now, if I wasn't into sending out zombie Christmas cards I would probably have to request some of these Gg Gnome packs to send out as Christmas cards this year (although whether or not I can actually afford to send Christmas cards out this year remains to be seen...)!

Gnome Necklace

Cost: $10

Shop: DejaK

"Hello wee Gnome. I'm going to carry you and your gnomey magic with me everywhere around my neck. Hey! Stop looking at my cleavage!"

Gnome Wall Decal, Multicolor Set of 7

Cost: $15

Shop: RadRaspberry

I LOVE these! I feel like he should be saying "Howdy-ho!" like Mr. Hankey from SouthPark.

I would SO put these decals in strange places all over my house to freak out my guests. I like this one, over the door frame. I would also put one peeking out from behind a plant, sticking out from a light shade from one of our ceiling lights, and around the side of the toilet. Where else...?

Felted Gnome

Cost: $300

Shop: The Handwork Studio

Not only is this little guy cute and tiny but he's fuzzy! A triple threat! He looks like he's kind of plotting something dastardly, rubbing his hands together, Mwahahah!"

I'd still put him on my computer at work. And when someone upset me, he'd mysteriously appear on the guilty person's desk looking like he's plotting something dastardly. *nods*

Thanks for reading folks!

The leaves are falling...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:53:00 +0000

Good lawdy! I looked up and all of a sudden it was NOVEMBER! How the hell did that happen so fast? How did I get away with only two posts last month? My blog almost has 11,500 page views in spite of my absence--geepers!!!

BOOK SEGUE!!!

I am currently reading a book called 50 Jobs in 50 States: One man's journey of discovery across America by Daniel Seddiqui. This guy graduated from college and experienced the horrible job market with full force. I'm not sure how long it took him to come up with this project, but he spent what sounds like a couple of years after college, unemployed, only able to find volunteer work. He couldn't even get work as a dishwasher because he wasn't bilingual--it was horribly insane! (Unemployment horror stories make me so thankful to have not only one job but two now.) Anyway, along the way he decides that he wants to work in every state in the country and maybe even do it as a reality TV show or something. When the reality networks find out about his project, he ends up saying no to make his experience "more organic," which I respect, and does this all on his own. He drove state to state, worked hard during the day learning new tasks and trades, and spent his nights furiously lining up future jobs for his journey. Anyway, when he got to Minnesota, this native Californian said he was happy to witness fall foliage for the first time.

That just blew my mind!

I can't imagine growing up without having seen the towering golden maple tree in the backyard of my childhood home change from green to bright red, to pink, to yellow, etc. every fall. The fall colors in Oklahoma are AMAZING and they are EVERYWHERE, and I honestly have to pity anyone that has to miss out on fall foliage annually.

In honor of all the leaves starting to change here, I thought I'd find some leafy jewelry for you to enjoy:

Gold Ginko Leaf Pendant 18" Chain

Cost: $195

Shop: Kirk Sklar Jewelry

See how much I pay attention... I thought this was a beautiful pendant, a perfect ginko leaf! I didn't care about the cost. But when typing this up, "C-o-s-t-:-$ *went back to the site to see how much to enter*" I literally did a gasp/choke/giggle. That doesn't happen often! But let's face it, this baby is 24 karats of golden goodness on top and sterling silver. It's worth it.

Brick Red Leaves - Glass Pendant Necklace - Vintage Copper

Cost: $8

Shop: Lizabettas Handcrafted Glass Pendants

Oooh! This is pretty AND it's on sale! Actually, almost everything in her shop is priced at $8. Reasonably priced pendants (maybe too reasonably priced--girl, don't sell yourself short, you've got talent!), all attractive, lots of variety--check out her shop!

Autumn Leaf Hammered Copper Pendant

Cost: $45

Shop: Creativity Jewellery

Yellows, pinks, and reds are nice but you can't get away without mentioning some deep browns when talking about fall foliage. I love the brown leaf, and the larger Swarovski pearl because it looks like a wee acorn adding to the autumnal appeal! Speaking of acorns, has anyone else seen an influx of squirrels lately? I know I sure have... *looks around suspiciously*

Fall Leaves Pendant, Art Pendant, Glass Tile Pendant, Autumn Jewelry, Fall Season Necklace

Cost: $9.95

Shop: MG Artisan Pendants

I like how this pendant shows leaves changing color. I like the swirly, artful bits. This is really pretty. Actually, I love all the tree and leaf pendants in his shop!

Red Leaf Pendant - Iridescent Copper - Freshwater Pearls - Crystal

Cost: $38

Shop: Jeunebugs

What I love about this piece is that the pendant is made from a real leaf! From selection to finish it takes 7 days to make a piece like this. I just love that. :)

Here's an honorable mention, simply because I can't say I've ever seen a purple leaf like this in nature (redbud trees, which we have around here in abundance, are a very pinky-purple in the spring but nothing close to this kind of true purple). I just had to post about this on the bloggity blog:

Black and Purple Ivy Leaf Pendant with Black Organza Adjustable Necklace

Cost: $12.48

Shop: Il Nido della Gazza or The Magpie's

Purple is a great color on me. Just saying...

I don't quite know why it took me so long to get this post together. I started writing it last Thursday I think and just now finished it. *shakes head* Weird!

Anyway, I've got a couple of other good posts planned for the near future, one I'm debating on:

The Boyfriend has opened his own Etsy shop for some of his photography!
Remember that post from last year about the bridal fascinators dedicated to my sister's pending wedding? Well, well, well. What to say about that. This is what I'm debating on. A whole lot of shite happened with that. However, I still want to provide a humorous update, but without talking too much about the shite (one thing I didn't want with this blog is to turn it into a venue for me to bitch about things in my personal life, and this post could potentially turn into a SERIOUS bitch-fest). When I can figure out how to avoid bitching, I'll make this post. Stay tuned...

Thanks for reading folks!

Nergeedor

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Every other Saturday night means The Boyfriend's gaming group comes over to play. Tonight is one of those Saturday nights. I don't game so I don't join in the blessed geekery. It just seems too time consuming. When ever it's a game night, I usually hide out in my office and watch a movie or update the ol' bloggity blog. So, here I am! I figured I would pick a related topic so, here you go (granted below is mostly video gaming stuff and they're playing [I think] a Dresden Files RPG set in Tulsa, but who really cares if I'm mixing up the geekery going on here?)!

First, to expand your vocabulary:

NERGEEDOR:

An acronym taking the first three letters of the words 'nerd' 'geek' and 'dork'. This represents the three classes of the quirky, strange, weird, and possibly intelligent social class. It is a club (if you will) meaning that if you qualify as a nerd, geek, or dork, then you belong to the Nergeedor club.

~ UrbanDictionary.com

A while back I found these items on Etsy.com that would be sure to make any nergeedor have a geekgasm:

Xbox 360 Gamer SOAP, Mountain Dew Scented

Cost: $16

Shop: DigitalSoaps

This is pretty much the coolest geekery shop EVER! All soap, all game themed. Such coolness! For a closer look at the controller, click on the links above.

Nintendo Stars

Cost: $35

Shop: aivlys85

Now, refresh my memory folks. Did the stars in Mario Brothers represent an extra life power? I can't quite remember.

Not only am I not a gamer, but I'm probably the only person in the United States aside from my sister who didn't grow up with a game system in the home. I played Super Mario Bros. at a friend's house, and particularly liked Mario Kart. But memory fails me as to if the star guy was a character or a sign for extra life. Anyway, if it is a sign for more life--damn, that's a lot of lives in that jar!

iPhone 4 Retro Nintendo Controller Skin & Wrap

Cost: $15

Shop: kellokult

More controller fun! Now, this controller I remember. B)

If I had an iPhone I would ABSOLUTELY purchase this to go with it. People would be so jealous. It would be awesome.

Pac Man Ukulele A.K.A. Paculele

Cost: $600

Shop: Celentano Woodworks

Hell, I think I just had a geekgasm! This may very well be the most awesome thing I have ever posted about in the blog. And I mean that! This beats the pants off of DOMO! Pac Man would swallow DOMO whole and spit him out. Definitely check out this shop folks! They make cupcake guitars, Autobot Transformer ukuleles, and even avocado ukuleles! PS: Ukulele isn't a word I have the privilege to use often, and therefore, I find it rather difficult to type.

Nintendo NES Controller Bra

Cost: $35

Shop: SceeneShoes

So, guys would probably disagree with my "this may very well be the most awesome thing I have ever posted about in the blog" concerning the Pac Man Ukulele after seeing this bra. That's pretty much all I have to say about that...

So, that didn't take very long! It's only like 8:30. What am I going to do for the rest of the night? The gaming group only just started playing like an hour ago. Le sigh. Oh well.

I'll leave you with this (to get stuck your head all night) and say goodnight to you all:

Nail Polish

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:40:00 +0000

The long awaited nail polish post has arrived! I kept planning on doing one and saving my favorite bits of nail polish stuff from Etsy.com to my favorites and then... started writing other posts or I got busy with real life and then eventually all the nail polish stuff I have saved had sold. *shrug* So there you have it.

So why am I making a point to make a post about nail polish stuff on Etsy? Because the peeps at Concrete and Nailpolish were the good folks who encouraged me to start this blog! It is run by sisters April (the elder) Ashley (the younger), and occasionally guest stars Alisa (in the middle) who I actually work with in the library. They are all awesome, their blog is awesome, and I aspire to their kind of bloggery success (although, to be honest, I'm not as regular with this blog as I need to be for that kind of success, but that's okay)!

Honestly, I'm not a nail polish user myself. My mom was never big on the whole girly thing of, "Let's play dress up and play with make-up!" when I was little, so I never really got into make-up or nail polish. In fact, whenever my friends would put it on me, and whenever I find myself slathered with it today, the weight of it on my nails is palpable, and even after it dries I can't help but touch things as though they might mess up the polish if it touches my nails. It's a pretty funny sight actually. However, I did promise a nail polish post and here you go.

Now, one can actually find nail polish for sale on Etsy. That used to be pretty rare and that's another reason why I've delayed this post for so long. However, I don't think I should really endorse a product I've never tried like that, so I've found some pretty awesome nail polish related things. Enjoy:

Super Glitter Anna Sui Nail Polish Cabochon

Cost: $3.15

Shop: SophieToffeeCo

I like cabs! Primarily sparkly, dichroic ones. Actually, I don't think these are dichroic glass but that's okay. They're cute, sparkly, and tiny! They'd make cute charms for a little girl's bracelet or what-have-you.

Nail Polish Cake Toppers

Cost: $10

Shop: CrumblyArt

I LOVE this shop! She makes edible, fondant cake toppers. My favorite has to be her Trick or Treat Cupcake Toppers but this post is about nail polish. I like these nail polish cake toppers. They make real nail polish spills look so clean and quirky.

Betty's Galactic Hair and Nails Beauty Salon print

Cost: $18

Shop: FullFrogMoon

There is quite a lot of nail polish inspired art to be found on Etsy. Lots of photography with glittering bottles, etc. I wanted something else though.

I've also been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix these past several weeks, and this picture reminds me of the salon on the Enterprise, with Mott, the blue-skinned barber. To apply nail polish on the Enterprise, someone just waves a wand-thing over your fingers to change the color of your nails. The same goes for changing your hair color. It's pretty sweet.

Nail Polish Ring: Kleancolor Afternoon Picnic & Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday

Cost: $13

Shop: Ring, Ring

One can find sparkly nail polish rings in abundance on Etsy and I have pretty much loved every-single-one that I have come across. This seller has lots of them. Check out her shop!

Tom Selleck

Cost: $8.99

Shop: LynnsBoutique

I know I said I wouldn't post any actual nail polish and these nail tips might as well serve the same purpose, on the other hand, how am I NOT supposed to include these?!? I HAVE TO! You can't ignore vintage Tom Selleck! You just can't!

And just for some extra fun, while not a popular blog, I'm pretty proud of the 1000+ views it draws now each month and I wanted to give a little credit to my most popular post: DOMO. As of this date, it has accrued 1024 views, that's about a full 9th of all of the views this blog has had to date! So, in honor of the success DOMO has given me, I thought I would go out and find some DOMO nail polish stuff and found this awesome blog post from The Daily Nail:

http://daily-nail.blogspot.com/2010/02/domo-arigato.html

Thanks for reading folks, and thanks to the sisters at Concrete and Nailpolish for telling me to just jump right into this blog thing. I'm glad I did! :D

Catching Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:29:00 +0000

I just finished Catching Fire yesterday (Edit: I started writing this post on 9/22. Yesterday 9/29 I finished Mockingjay, and thus, the whole of the Hunger Games trilogy.), the second book of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I have actually been listening to the books on audio CD in my car but stupid me, I didn't put the next audio book Mockingjay, on hold on time. Now I have to wait. I'm 3 of 7 holds eesh! So, last night at my second job I saw Mockingjay on the shelf -the BOOK- and decided to just check it out. I sometimes prefer audio books over traditional books because I'm a terribly slow reader most of the time, and I just don't like radio music anymore in the car. The audio books keep me enthralled while driving and honestly I'm pretty shocked I haven't gotten into any accidents yet! Anyway, with real books, the only place I can read them at home is in the bathtub, and that's kind of a limited habit (I need to get rid of the couch in my office and get a nice, cozy, reading chair). The warm water helps my neck and back and it lets me get in a good soaking before bed. Anyway, I started reading Mockingjay and I am already in the 6th chapter--that's pretty fast for me!

So anyway!

I ventured onto Etsy.com last night and noticed one of my Circular Friends (how do we refer to people in our Circles on Etsy?) Spexton, an INCREDIBLE titanium jewelry shop located in Tulsa (seriously, they make jewelry for gift baskets given to entertainers who perform at the BOK Center--pretty neato!), had found some outdoor fireplaces on Etsy to Heart and that gave me an idea: Catching Fire the book, it's getting cool outside with autumn on the horizon, why not write an outdoor firepit post! See how the universe aligns itself for me with signals? It's helpful sometimes. Thank you universe. So, here are some sweet, sweet outdoor firepits from Etsy:

Redwood Table with Fire Pit

Cost: $275

Shop: TomTheIrishman

I thought I would start with this beauty here. A solid redwood table with a copper finish fire pan. The teak stain and the copper compliment each other so well. This is a very lovely piece.

RainBowl FireBowl

Cost: $925

Shop: Modern Metal Work

Now, this firepit brings out the firebug in me, and I'm really not a firebug. I'm sure I could get hours of delight from just staring at a fire in this puppy, watching the logs burn! I also like how it's constructed from a cable. That touch makes it look like a lasso. A Lasso of Fire!

Fire Pit / Basket Fire Ring

Cost: $300

Shop: Sunset Metalworks

I like how the top design gives this piece a tribal, kind of Celtic feel. Be warned, the bricks that surround the inner cylinder are not included and you'll have to obtain your own once the fire pit has been delivered.

Modfire - Modern Outdoor Fireplace - Natural Finish

Cost: $950

Shop: Modfire

This was the shop that started it all for this post. This is the shop that Spexton found and Hearted, which showed up in my Circle Activity feed. Such-beautiful-stuff! The Boyfriend and I always end up stopping at the firepit displays at Home Depot or Lowes because we want an outdoor firepit--hello! I think this has to be the most impressive firepit design I have ever seen, it's so sleek and cool!

Felted Fire Pit with Logs

Cost: $285

Shop: RyN Rina

So, for those of you who aren't into the whole heat or flame thing, I have found the perfect solution for you: Felted Fire Pit with Logs!

Ever wonder what to do with that pesky, useless, faux fireplace of yours? I have noticed that some people put bushy plants there. In my last house I put my TV in mine (and yes, I did have a DVD [THIS ONE] that plays campfire or fireplace fires on a loop so it can look like I have a real fire going-it's very cool in a lame sort of way). Some people even risk storing and using a whole forest of candles in their faux fireplace. NOT ANYMORE! Just shove this puppy into the faux fireplace and you'll have a pretty -heatless- fire that will never go out!

That's it for tonight. It's probably going to be a little chilly tonight and I'll be outside at some point helping to celebrate a beloved neighbor's birthday. While he has a new deck~~, I don't think he has a firepit. Tisk tisk my friend! ;)~~ EDIT: I just saw a pic on his Facebook wall--he does have a firepit yea!

Thanks for reading folks!

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:25:00 +0000

OMG, that just reminded me, the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins was YESTERDAY and I missed it! Damn it! Well, I guess I can save that post for next year. Technically speaking, I wasn't planning a specific post about that but I always like to acknowledge that somehow (usually on Facebook or something). Oh well.

Anyway, today is the first day of Fall, and even though temperatures in Oklahoma are still topping out in the low 80s, it's still blessedly chilly in the mornings and evenings. In honor of the wonderful fall weather headed our way, I thought I'd make a post for some jackets and/or light coats that I've found on Etsy.com. Enjoy (in order of length, short - long):

Four Buttons Short Green Jacket

Cost: ~~unknown~~ $39

Shop: AnotherCupOfCoffee

I say the price is unknown because the jacket has already sold. I thought I'd see if the price was available in the shops sold section but it isn't. All of her other jackets have sold too, so I can't even guesstimate a price. :(

I love the four-button pea coat style and I just love this jacket so much, that I still want to share it with you even though it has already sold. We can all just keep our eyes on this seller's shop to see when she sells more I suppose. ;)

EDIT: She relisted the jacket. Now we know how much it costs. *happy grin*

Jacket

Cost: $155 (CLEARANCE)

Shop: Aunt Zarina's Shop

Simply called "Jacket," this had-knit beauty is on clearance for $155, can be ordered in the sizes and colors listed.

I'm a big fan of the having-a-few-buttons-on-the-top-only style. I don't know if there is a specific term for that but, whatever it is, I like it!

Burgundy Silk Pleat Pocket Jacket

Cost: $98

Shop: Carey Dion Design Studio

I wasn't actually sure which one between this jacket and the next was shorter, but I suppose in the end, it doesn't really matter.

Again, this has one button at the top and is loose fitting throughout. I also like the vertical strip pattern, which would be more flattering for someone who is a little more rotund, you know, like me. This looks like the perfect, cozy, fall weather jacket.

Brown Colour Long Cashmere Coat

Cost: $99

Shop: TheSimpson

I like how this coat is like almost like a soft, trench coat for a woman (it buttons up but also has a waist tie). The little cape at the top is pretty cute too.

This seller is from China and I will admit, I've seen a LOT more Asian sellers on Etsy this year. Their clothing looks so simple but still really stylish. Most is reasonably priced too, and this is definitely a good price for a cashmere coat!

Dryad Elf Style Coat - Made from recycled sweaters - Patchwork Fairy - Reconstructed

Cost: $488

Shop: Enlightened Platypus

This coat is reserved for another seller but I am just in awe of it, so I had to post it! I have posted another patchwork fairy coat similar to this in my Codpiece Topology post last summer, so needless to say: I love these patchwork coats! I don't know if I could pull one off, but I don't care, I still love them!

PS~ I wonder if one can request that gun at the time of purchase too. Probably not, but one can hope!

Well, I'm off. Have a good Friday night folks!

A(RRR)migurumi

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

So, as you may well know, as you should know, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Shiver me bloody timbers!

In honor of this holiday, I thought it would be nice to find some pirate stuff on Etsy.com but quickly came to the conclusion that instead of sifting through hats, fake beards, corsets, etc. I would make a cutesy list of Amigurumi pirate stuff, because I love, love, love Amigurumi stuff. Simple as that:

Mr. Easter... Neon Yellow Cute Crochet Amigurumi Critter

Cost: $10

Shop: AllSoCute

I thought I'd start small with this little egg-like pirate critter. He's so cute! On the other hand, while just an egg, he kind of looks like he wants to beat me up. Or that he even could beat me up.

*backs up from Mr. Easter very slowly and runs away screaming*

The Pirates Crochet Amigurumi Pattern

Cost: $5.99

Shop: Crafty Deb Designs

Now these are some jolly pirates! Perhaps they'd help me fight off Mr. Easter. I could so picture that! They'd kick him with their adorable peg legs and swat him away with their bandanas and over-sized hats! Note, that this is a pattern purchase not a product purchase.

Crochet Pattern - PIRATE SHIP - Toys - In PDF

Cost: $5.99

Shop: SkyMagenta

Would somebody just make this for me please? I wonder how long it would take to make. I once checked out a book called Creepy Cute Crochet about Amigurumi, but I couldn't make heads or tales of the patterns. I can't imagine how complicated this pattern would look like. I haz an amazed.

Wallace the Red Pirate Octopus

C0st: $25

Shop: TheKnitDragon

Who would win a fight between Mr. Easter and Wallace? Wallace looks pretty bad-ass. He's a hellfire red and he's got 8 arms (well 7 arms and 1 peg leg--such coolness!). However, Mr. Easter has that hellish STARE. He's only got 1 eye to stare with and it's still effective! I can't decide. Post your thoughts on this grudge match in the comments below!

Jack Sparrow Inspired Amigurumi Doll Made to Order

Cost: $40

Shop: Baby Bloom Crochet

Here he is, the man himself (or rather, inspired by the man himself): Captain Jack Sparrow! He even has eyeliner!

More International Talk Like a Pirate Day fun:

The Official Site for Talk Like a Pirate Day: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Find your Pirate Name: http://www.froggynet.com/cgi-bin/pirate.cgi

Some of mine were: Scribe Maria Lindsey the Dark Wench, Second Mate Prudence the Horny, and Prudence the Burly *shrug*

Post Like a Pirate generator: http://postlikeapirate.com

Google Pirate: http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=xx-pirate

Hearty thanks fer readin'! Spy wit' ye eye ye next the hour!

Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:56:00 +0000

I thought I'd start this one off with a music video:

I love this song. I hate this video. I can see why Pearl Jam decided to just not make music videos. They thought that seeing a pre-determined visual interpretation of a song robbed the listener of being able to decipher the meaning of a song on their own. Good point and this is a good example of that; the meaning behind this song is pretty deep (I'd say it's a commentary of sorts about where humans really are in the scheme of things, more like the bottom of the totem pole, but you won't catch many people actually admitting that.), and yet the video is just... stupid! Maybe that's the point though. All the weird, bikini clad people seem to really take themselves seriously and yet they're just ridiculous! ??? Anyway, I digress...

Pets. This post is about pets. Etsy.com has all kinds of goodies for pets. Treats. Clothing. Toys. And much more! However, the thought popped into my head, "How about pets? Do they have PETS on Etsy?" After a long search, I suppose you could say they do. Bear in mind, items here have to be handmade, so no live puppies or kittens in sight. Let's just say that if you're in the mood for a pet that's not-quite-typical, Etsy could be a valuable resource. Here is what I came up with:

Marimo Sea Glass Pet

Cost: $19

Shop: Gardens of Wendiland

This was actually the first item that inspired my search for pets on Etsy. Have you heard of Dewey, the library cat? I WANT a pet in either the office I work at during the day or in the other library I work at in the evenings. I want a work pet. But I suppose this moss ball will have to do. The upside is, other than it being REALLY CUTE (for a ball of green moss that is), I can literally picture everybody in my office standing around it, taking turns poking the moss ball quizzically. My co-workers and I... we haz like minds.

Gold Fish Ring Miniature Pet on the Go - Fake Water Rock Water

Cost: $23

Shop: Tiny Tasty Jewelry Cafe

Do you find yourself in the predicament of wanting the perfect miniature pet? Are the "handbag dogs" that celebrities sport these days just not miniature enough for your unique tastes? Well, then you can find the perfect solution here on Etsy! Don't worry, it's not a real miniature goldfish (it's made with polymer clay), but that just means no feeding or poop to clean up! The best part: it's so small it displays in a nice, little, ring. So, the next time you're at the mall and you see some well-dressed young ladies arguing about whose little yappy dog is the smallest, you can flash your goldfish ring at them and say, "Beat THAT!"

The Bulldog and the Bot

Cost: $15

Shop: lubu (a superfacepunch of love)

So, I figured that since Etsy is for handmade items, and that since there is an entire category for Robots under the Geekery section (HERE), I could find some handmade robot pets. Genius! Well, after searching, not so much. No handmade robot pets to be found anywhere! However, I did find several robots who have their own pets, like this little guy. Yet another polymer clay item, lovingly crafted for your enjoyment.

Octopus Specimen Pickled Pet (Currently Out of Stock)

Cost: $45

Shop: oopsiecake

When I first saw this I kind of had the thought, "Oh, I can put this on my desk and pet it like the moss ball!" Um, no. While it would be awesome to have a pet octopus, this is not a live animal, it is a piece of taxidermy. Yes that's right boys and girls, just like those deer and moose heads you see mounted to the walls of hunting lodges, only this is an OCTOPUS. (Rather than providing a link to the taxidermy sections on Etsy, I'll just let you look those up on your own. Some work is wonderful and some is frightening. To see those of a more scary persuasion, go to: regretsy.com.). I know, it sounds strange to have a pickeld pet, but I looked up this seller's comments and buyers say her products are beautiful. You be the judge. Meaning no disrespect to the seller at all, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a slight feeling of disgust at this, but I mostly feel a profound sense of fascination about this item. Truth be told, I could probably own this.

EDIT: I showed this to a couple of co-workers and they thought it was be awesome to have a pickled octopus as the office pet. Other departments in the building would be so jealous! SCORE! :D I wonder if we could budget for this...

Ladybug Plant Pets

Cost: $19

Shop: Art Horizons Studio

Dude! Even your plants can have pets! I love ladybugs so sign me up! I have a lonely looking zebra plant at home that looks like it could use some company.

So, that's all for this time.

I do, however, have a sweet, sweet post ready to go for Monday the 19th which is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I don't know about you but I'm STOKED!

Thanks for reading!

Labor Day Post: Round Barns!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:41:00 +0000

Why yes, I did say: ROUND barns!

We have one in Arcadia, OK and it turns out they're actually all over the place!

On the way back home to Tulsa from a road trip to Pops, The Boyfriend and I passed Arcadia's Round Barn, so we stopped for a visit. I remembered a story on the local news a few years ago that talked about its renovation. I'm glad I got to see it restored, it was VERY impressive.


Looking up at the domed roof literally makes you feel like you're about to fall flat on your back!

Hopefully this pic will help give you some sense of scale from the inside and how large the dome is.

So anyway, I figured I did one Route 66 inspired post this summer, why not do another for Labor Day weekend, what some consider the end of summer? Plus, barn = work = Labor i.e. Labor Day. Yeah, I knew you'd figure out the theme! As it turns out, there aren't a lot of round barn things to be found on Etsy.com (several photo prints, but I'll do my best for you). So here you go:

Sepia Round Barn 8 x 10 Matted Photo Ready to Frame

Cost: $22

Shop: Backroads Photography

Oooh, pretty sepia tones. It makes this barn look like it's happy and glowing in the daytime but as night falls, watch out for all the ghosts that so clearly haunt this sucker!

Round Barn Garlic Keeper Canister

Cost: $40

Shop: Bella Joy Pottery

Betcha didn't know there were barns for storing garlic, eh? The best part about this barn is you don't even need acreage, just a counter top! This little gem is only 4 inches high and wide. I never use the D word but this is, in fact, darling. There! I said it! Are you happy now?

Pennsylvania Red Barn Stormy Corn Field Country Road Farm 5x7 Fine Art Photography Print

Cost: $16

Shop: Wild Wilderness Photography, LLC

Wow! Now this is one shiny, red barn! It almost looks like it could just screw itself up off of the earth and just fly into outer space. Yeah...

Route 66 Round Barn 8x10 Fine Art Print

Cost: $30

Shop: LoftGirl

Hey! Would you look at this--an Etsy seller noticed the Arcadia barn too! This makes me happy. It appears this seller is located in Texas so she's not altogether too far away from the barn. Well, relatively speaking I suppose...

Round Red Barn 8 x 10 Fine Art Photography

Cost: $20

Shop: Daniel R. Ness Photography

I end today's post with another clean-looking, pretty, round, red barn. Although I don't mind the view from my office windows (the office is a sun room, by the way), I can't say I wouldn't mind looking out on this everyday! So tranquil. There is something soothing about circular objects, no?

Well, folks, I'm outtie for now. Time to do some SUPER-FUN-LABOR-DAY-CLEANING!!! That is what Labor Day is about right? Work? ;)

Thanks for visiting, and if you have any round barn stories or pictures, please feel free to comment below.

Dankeschön

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:13:00 +0000

I figured I would start this post off with a musical dance number. Enjoy!

So, last month I purchased some Thank You notes from Etsy.com and I figured I might as well review my purchasing experience for you. After all, I did have a good experience with this shop and while it opened in February of this year, appears to only have had 3 sales as of this date: I want to throw some business her way if I can!

The shop is Ally B Studio. Please take a look around her shop! She has some seriously cute, customizable, creative art cards, invitations, and stationary.

My purchase was the Custom Monogram Stationary Card Set of 5.

I, however, wished to purchase a set of 10 and asked about using different colors for the bottom of the card. I told her I was thinking of Yellow, Purple, and the Gray but I left the exact shading and what-have-you up to her because I'm certainly no graphic artist, and I trusted her taste. This is the end result of our convos:


Photo taken by Lexie of Ally B Studio

For a regular set of 5 customized cards, the cost runs $12, but with my purchase of 10 cards, I got a wee discount and my final total was $20 (+ $1.50 for shipping), which seemed fair and pleasant to me. I love the squiggly design and my initials are SRT of course. The cards are blank inside with the color stripes on the bottom, which still give one plenty of room to write whatever; in my case big giant

THANK YOU's.

One of the things I particularly liked about her shop compared to others I had lurked through was that she did not have a "Proof Fee," which kind of confused me. The Boyfriend explained to me that that was so the buyer could get a hard copy proof example of what he or she was purchasing to see what it looked like in the papery flesh. However, the way some shops described their proof fee was that you tell them what you want and in order to "see" what you were getting, it would cost you $7. It sounded to me like if I wanted a digital picture of what I would be purchasing it would cost me extra. That kind of made me wary. If it is all as The Boyfriend said and that meant you were purchasing a physical copy to proof--that's one thing. But if it really cost extra to see a digital image? Nuh-uh! That being said, Lexie of Ally B Studio does not have a proof fee tacked onto her products at this time, so you do get a digital image of what you are going to purchase, and I was thrilled to pieces to see what she came up with for me!

She was also superhero fast! I sent my first convo to her on July 7th and on the 9th they were ready for me to purchase. After purchasing them they arrived in a few days. A nice, totally painless transaction. Lexie and her shop get a definite 2 thumbs up from moi.

I figured I would use one of these nice thank you cards to end this post:

The Blue Whale

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 02:39:00 +0000

No, the one in Moby Dick is white. This whale is blue.

This whale is happy.

Yes, I am speaking of the Blue Whale on Route 66:

Yes. You read me right. A blue whale. It can be found just outside of Catoosa, Oklahoma. It was, and remains, a popular attraction along the famous highway Route 66. Hugh Davis and his wife Zelta were huge animal lovers, so in the 1970s he built the whale and gave it to his wife on their anniversary because she collected whale figurines. I have never actually visited the Blue Whale per se, but I have passed it many times going to and from soccer games in my youth, and now just any time I'm around Catoosa. The picnic area is open to the public again after a short period of dilapidation after the owners passed away, while swimming around there is still prohibited. I just love Catoosa's Blue Whale! He's so delightfully random! I had to find a way to squeeze him into the blog and I figured he would make a great summer post.

So, I couldn't find any blue whales specifically in homage to Catoosa's Blue Whale on Etsy.com, but I did find a lot of blue whale gear. Most of it was kid stuff, but that's okay:

Metallic Blue Whale Necklace

Cost: $9

Shop: Shelby-Jo Jewelry

SO CUTE! I gush with cutesy praise. Excuse me...

Navy and Gray-Blue Whale Original Drawing on Vintage French Paper

Cost: $29

Shop: Cookstah

So, I like this piece because it's quirky. The Boyfriend thinks it's a little freaky. On the other hand, not everybody can be as cute as the little pendant above, and as they say, variety is the spice of life. I like this little guy and I like a lot of the art this seller has to offer too!

Happy Whale Felt and Ribbon Bookmark

Cost: £7.50 GBP

Shop: The Happy Whale

Look, even the seller's shop name is about happy whales! I'm glad I was able to come across this shop and find this bookmark. It all just makes me smile.

Blinky the Happy Blue Whale and Friends

Cost: $79

Shop: Maisie Moo

For some reason I was flat out DETERMINED to find a blue whale mobile. WIN! Über WIN!

WHALE Quilt Set, Comforter, Blanket and Decorator Pillow for Cot or Crib

Cost: $183.36

Shop: Alphabet Monkey

For my expensive item this evening, I give you this super-sweet whale quilt! I had a blanky when I was a little kid like most people. I can't remember what it was patterned with but it was yellow. I eventually wore that sumbitch down! Mom eventually had to throw it away. Just felt like throwing that story out there. *shrug*

Well, I figured it was time to do a summery-type post considering Oklahoma has set a heat record for the month of July (being the hottest month on record in the U.S.! I don't know whether to be proud or simply exhausted by this news...): Check out this article from This Land Press. August was shaping up to be the exact same way, however, in the past week we've (by we, I mean at least the Tulsa area) had 3 hefty incidences of rain which has helped to bring us out of triple-digit Hell temperatures. Not near enough to end this horrid drought, but at least it's a little cooler for now. Anyway, when I think of the Blue Whale it makes me think of water, cool temps, etc. It has a good/happy effect on me. I thought I'd share the coolness of the Blue Whale in the midst of this awful summer in hopes that cooler thoughts come to you as well.

Later folksies and thanks for reading!

A Dance With Dragons

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:48:00 +0000

So SCREW waiting to post until I figure out how to add another column to this shindiggery! I'll keep on trying to figure this out but I need to stop delaying my posts. I miss posting about Etsy stuff.

Remember, waaaaay back in March during my Ahhh dragons! post I said to "fully expect that in July I will make a compendium of items for the major houses in Westeros to celebrate the release of George R. R. Martin's latest book, A Dance With Dragons"? Well, I really wanted to finish the book before making this post so, hence the delay.

I have finally finished!!!

I will admit that when searching for items on Etsy.com for this list, I felt a little conflicted. Some things were cutesy (and that alone felt totally inappropriate!) and some were just too funny! Others were just difficult to choose between. So, I've got a list of primary items with pictures, shop links, etc. and honorable mentions with links back to their pages on Etsy. Be sure to check those out as well! I also decided it would be a good idea to show the house heraldry for non Martin fans so they would understand the references a little better. All the images come from The Citadel at Westeros.org. Enjoy!

HOUSE STARK

Winter Is Coming Miniature Top Hat

Cost: $18

Shop: Bunny's Craft Hutch

Oh, how I hope my fellow Stark fans don't hate me for not finding something more "hardcore," but I really, really like this hat! Although if I may offer one suggestion to the seller--a blue "winter" rose would work quite nicely here too. *wink wink*

Honorable Mention: Wolf and the Clockwork Moon Steampunk Brooch by TinyMinds Here's your hardcore folks! I love the clockwork in the brooch. It makes me think of how little time the Starks have...

***

HOUSE GREYJOY

Steampunk Octopus Cuff Bracelet

Cost: $35

Shop: Victorian Curiosities

Ahh, a tough looking cuff for some tough guys (and girl). I like how it is made of brass too. So scruffy looking and yet solid as well. Definitely tough enough for these Krakens!

Honorable Mention: I had to have The Boyfriend help me decide which hat to use here. I had one crazy looking steampunk hat picked, but he chose this knit hat (which I also love and would TOTALLY wear--he told me I could so totally buy this for him for Christmas and he would rock it this winter): Kraken of the Sea Scoofie - Mythological Creature Hooded Scarf Couture by Pink Avenger.

***

HOUSE ARRYN

American Eagle -Wooden Hand Carved Smoking pipe Pear tree butt unique stile Limited Edition Tobacciana

Cost: $33.00

Shop: MyUkraine

Oooh! Such a pretty pipe you have! I can picture Gandalf smoking from this pipe, making colored smoke rings. But I digress. That's the wrong story! I don't think pipes will ever go out of style and I can see the lords of the Eyrie smoking from this one. It's just a very dignified piece, don't you think?

Honorable Mention: Fly Me To The Moon Necklace with Silver, Copper and Turquoise by Bella Bijou Jewellry I think the eagle could be a little more well defined, but I do like all the rest of it.

***

HOUSE BARATHEON

Baratheon Stag Game of Thrones Necklace

Cost: $9.99

Shop: Declaration of Indiependants

I think this is the most literal piece I've found for this list, but I couldn't resist. The prancing stag with the crown, perfect colors. It's a winner in my book. PS-I LOVE this shop's name!

Honorable Mention: Crown Town White on Black Deer Antlers Shirt by One Gear

***

HOUSE LANNISTER

Gold Lion King Cufflinks

Cost: $6499.99

Shop: MAVA Style

Yeeeah! That's what I'm taking about! 18 karat gold pimp-daddy cufflinks! Nothing but the best for the Lannisters who "Always pay their debts." Not that they have any real debts to pay since they seemingly own most of the gold in Westeros...

Honorable Mention: I Rule in My Little Kingdom Lion Vinyl Wall Decal by Planet Wall Art This is one of the items that I felt conflicted about. Believe it or not, I can also see this in use in a Lannister nursery. The motto fits well. The cutesy lion picture however, not so much. In real life (of this fictional tale) one would probably see something akin to a lion mauling a gladiator-type in say, Rome ca. 75 AD. That kind of scene is even more appropriate because in the new book... eh, damn spoilers. I'll stop there and leave you to wondering!

***

HOUSE TULLY

Huge Fish Beer Mug/Stein with Brown Trout

Cost: $25

Shop: Brad Goodell Fine Glass Art and Illustration

Not an altogether very royal selection but while the Tully's are an old, proud house, I never got the impression that they were on par with houses like Stark or Lannister where power is concerned. Anyway, the trout is their house sigil and I kind of figured that this might be a perfect gift for one of the Tully riverlords.

Honorable Mention: Tully fans, please, please, please don't hate me, but how could I not post this Trout Soap on a Rope by DopeOnARopeSoap!

***

HOUSE TYRELL

Vintage Fenton Silver Crest Dish

Cost: $40

Shop: A Glimpse from the Past

I felt like going vintage for House Tyrell. You have to admit, their yellow rose on a green background sigil feels a bit... grandmothery. I searched the Housewares section to find the perfect bit of matronly home decor for this particular house. I really do like this piece though. It's classy!

Honorable Mention: Madeleine -- Eco Friendly Wheat Yellow Straw Hat with Wavy Brim, Flower, and Feathers by Millinerium.

***

HOUSE MARTELL

Finger Sunshine
Cost: $132

Shop: Mara Joyce Designs

I know the sun in House Martell's sigil is a red sun with a gold spear, but after I found this ring, realized my mistake, and searched for gaudy rings with red/sun--nothing really caught my eye as much as this ring. So here you go!

Honorable Mention: When my time comes to a halt - Vintage - Raw Brass Hour Glass - Long Necklace by Sweet Treasure Box. I like the Red Sands of Time for the Red Sands of Dorne!

***

HOUSE TARGARYEN

Powerful Dragon Light Warrior Ceremonial Necklace with Turquoise and Tibetan Conch Shell

Cost: $1500

Shop: Art Medicine Adornment

I know, wrong colors for this house, but that doesn't change the fact that this necklace is completely badass! I could picture a ruler like Daenerys wearing this. She's not some stuffy, polished princess after all--she's also a Khaleesi of the Dothroki! Mother of Dragons! Etc! The necklace itself is very raw but the pendant looks like antique. Good stuff!

Honorable Mention: Okay, here's another cutie: George and the Dragons by hole in my pocket. Don't ask me why but I had the urge to find some dragon matryoshka (nesting) dolls. *shrug* They're so cute!

***

So, there you have it folks! Gifts for all the most powerful houses in Westeros. Plenty of good stuff to buy favors and the like.

I will say I enjoyed the new book immensely! I missed reading about Tyrion Lannister SO MUCH. I'm very intrigued by all the happenings on the Wall. And Wun Wun has made it to the top of my "Favorite Characters Whose Names Are Beyond Cute List," slightly inching past Hodor.

Hodor. *nods*

3?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Trying to futz with the code of this darn thing so that I can add a third column on the left side of the screen. May try to finish that before making my next post or hosting another contest.

ANY help or advice would be welcome. Just sayin'.

To be continued...

[EDIT]

After failing with the above stuff tonight, I decided to add my Shelfari bookshelf to my blog so I could say to myself that I changed something on my blog successfully. It's under the new Spiffy Books tab on the top of the screen.

Also, I renamed the Music and Links tabs by adding "Spiffy" before each. *shrug* Figured it would be appropriate.

Leggo my LEGO!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:25:00 +0000

I swear The Boyfriend and I aren't hoarders! We just need display cases for the little collections we've started. One I already mentioned is a small collection of piggy banks. The latest is LEGO Minifigures. We started in on this a little late and missed Series 1 and Series 2, but have collected about half of the figures from Series 3 and Series 4. Basically, the LEGO company has made it possible to collect LEGO Minifigurines one at a time. I equate it to collecting baseball cards, only in these packages is one, individual Minifigurine that you piece together. And like baseball card packs, you never quite know what you're going to get with your purchase. Pretty cool, eh? The Boyfriend took a super-classy pic of our collection in its early phase:

Before the whole LEGO Minifigurine universe became so incredibly diverse, Etsy craftsmen made good use of old-school LEGO Men. One example of LEGO craft that I have always been able to find on Etsy are LEGO Cufflinks, like so:


$39.99 LEGO Wedding Suit Smiley Tuxedo Cufflinks by Cufflinks

People have always been able to make the most incredible things with LEGOs and awesome sauce ever since they came on the market. Behold, my favorite LEGO inspired items on Etsy.com!

Glass lamp filled children's toy blocks, includes: lamp shade, adorable Nursery lamp for boy or toddler bedroom

Cost: $26.99

Shop: Brick by Brick

I've seen a lot of empty, fill-able, glass lamps at Target. Usually they suggest filling the lamp with some pretty faux flowers or something. Let me tell you, if I were a kid--I would want this lamp! It actually seems pretty reasonable for an adult too, given the right adult and the right room, etc.

20 Sets of 5 LEGO Minifigures Crayons

Cost: $34

Shop: Polkadotty

I think I originally added these to my favorites for a future crayon feature post, but how could I resist using them here? Basically, this listing is for LEGO Crayon party favor packs. You get 100 LEGO Minifigures with this order. Party at my house! LEGO Minifigure Crayons for ALL!!!

4 GB USB Memory Minifigure custom

Cost: $69.95

Shop: DataBrick

There are dozens of LEGO Minifigure USB memory sticks on Etsy and this one is my fav! She's Aayla Secura, a Jedi from the Star Wars universe. And look--she even has abs and a belly button! Cuuuuute!

LEGO Brick Robot Companion for Android Building Kit

Cost: $30

Shop: AbbieDabbles

I don't know about you, but I LOVE the Droid mascot. This little guy is movable and will TOTALLY DESTROY ANY iPHONE IN THE VICINITY RAWR!!! Well, maybe not.
But he probably could...

Custom LEGO Bouquet of Yellow Rosebuds and Baby's Breath

Cost: $250

Shop: Folded Fancy Creations

The description of this unique bouquet is very sweet. It suggests giving one of these to your sweetheart or that it would be an excellent Mother's Day or Valentine's Day gift.

I, on the other hand, would probably just geek out and be totally crass about this gift. I would describe this bouquet as:

GUARANTEED PANTY DROPPER FOR THAT SPECIAL GEEK GIRL IN YOUR LIFE!!! (Convo for custom color options.)

But, that's just me. ;)

Well, that's all for now folks. Thanks for reading!

Bath Stuffs

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:02:00 +0000

So, this post has been about a month in the making. I've been busy, drained, etc. Just not in the right frame of mind to do any stuff on my beloved Spiffy Stuff for the past several weeks. Why, you ask? Well for starters, on May 16 I had sinus surgery and then spent two weeks recovering from that. I figure now that it's a month later I better get back on the ball.

In anticipation of being laid out for what would be a "one to two week recovery," I went to Etsy.com and bought some bath stuffs, because when I don't feel well, I tend to turn to a life of aquatics and live in the bath and/or shower a lot. Here is my review of the 4 products I purchased to ease my post-surgical discomfort:

GEISHA Complexion Soap EXFOLIANT 100% Natural with Green Tea

Cost: $6.50

Shop: BathAndBodyBoutique

This soap isn't pictured above so I figured it deserved to have the first review. It's not pictured above simply because I just couldn't figure out a good way to add it in the frame, not because I didn't love it. Also, the pic shown here is from the shop. I wasn't able to upload the pic that I took of it because it kept loading sideways or upside down! I tried futzing with it, but to no avail.

I usually purchase the detox bars from this shop on a regular basis, but since I knew I would be attempting to pamper myself, a good exfoliation bar sounded like a pretty good idea. I also figured if I used up my detox bar, this might make a good substitution because the green tea in it helps to calm skin and the parsley would help to detoxify. As usual, my bet paid off.

It has a light soapy smell that isn't overpowering at all and really smells fresh and clean. I expected the top layer of exoliants to wear off the bar of soap by now but with about 25% of the bar used and gone, the exfoliants are still there doing their job! I have since used up my latest detox bar and my skin hasn't revolted like it usually does. It seems as though this is a good adult acne soap bar too. :) Good purchase!

Just Plain Mud A.K.A. 4oz. Dead Sea Mud Mask for Face, Body, and Hair

Cost: $14

Shop: BathAndBodyBoutique

I have loved all the masks I have tried from this shop and this one is now my favorite. I know, 4 oz. doesn't sound like much but I was surprised at how big this jar turned out to be. It's quite tall!

The mud itself, really has no scent. The best part about it is its texture. It's very cool to the touch and super, silky-smooth. I would say it feels like chocolate pudding (or how I imagine chocolate pudding would feel on one's face), but this stuff is much smoother. There's no grain at all! It feels nice on the fingers and on the face. My face feels nice and clean after using it and doesn't feel stripped, so that's always a bonus.

The cost is a little expensive but the products in this shop are so great, honestly, I think it's worth the $14. Also, here we are a month later and I still have at least 75% of it left to use! I don't use it every day, only every once in a while, so $14 spread over several months amounts to a pretty good deal in my mind.

Snickerdoodle (4oz jar) Soap in a Jar (Fluffy Whipp)

Cost: $6.50

Shop: Anderson Soap Company a.k.a. Dennis Anderson

While BathAndBodyBoutique has been my favorite Etsy shop for skin care issues, Anderson Soap Company has been my favorite shop for fantastic smelling/looking soaps! I need to do a feature on his shop of the other things I've used, but more on those another time!

It looks like at this very point in time, there isn't any Snickerdoodle Whipped Soap for sale, but I'll bet if you were to ask him to make you some, that could easily be done.

This soap smells AMAZING!!! Just like sugary snickerdoodle cookies! The texture is somewhere between Crisco and whipped frosting. Since I've only been using it while in the bath, I have only used it with a washcloth rather than a pouf, but it still lathers very well, and my skin feels really soft after using it. Awesome, awesome, awesome soap. YOU MUST TRY SOME!

Almond Chamomile Bath Salts

Cost: $4.95

Shop: The Good Life by Katie

I knew I would want some bath salts and these were... interesting. They smell sweet and woody. I'm not entirely sure what chamomile smells like so I can't really say whether or not part of the smell comes from that. I can mostly smell the almond.

There were a couple of drawbacks to this product. First, when I poured some of the salts in the tub, it turned the tub water yellow. Like pee. I became a little worried at this point. As the product dispersed throughout the tub, the pee yellow did too and made the overall bath slightly yellow (but not disturbingly so). The yellowing is probably unavoidable but, I'm certainly no expert on how this stuff is made. I decided What the hell! and got in the bath.

Second drawback was that the itty-bitty wood chips that the salts are made of, kind of float around the tub, which looks and feels kind of messy, and also means no hair washing unless you want some of it in your scalp. However, after a nice loooooooong bath, all of it eventually dissolved.

I will say extra kudos to Ms. Katie because the salts completely softened the water and did give me a nice, relaxing, lightly-scented bath. Plus, and this is the best part, all of my skin felt incredibly soft the rest of the day! I don't come across products that honest to goodness make me feel soft and pampered, and in the end, this one definitely did. So, while there were a few drawbacks to these salts, I'd still say give them a try. Also, when I first stumbled upon her shop, this was the only variety of bath salt she sold. Now she has at least half a dozen more.

So, there you have it! Lots of good bath stuff! Nothing really relieved any of the post-surgery pain and honestly, I couldn't smell any of this stuff the first week after surgery (but can now, of course). But they all did bring me some measure of relief, which I needed pretty desperately. Yea for bath stuffs!

***

Want to read all the gruesome details about my sinus surgery/recovery? I'm in the process of writing short blog about it called Septoplasty... Oh yeah! that can be found here:

MySeptoplastyExperience.blogspot.com.

I figured that readers here might be interested in reviews of the bath stuff I purchased on Etsy prior to the surgery, but not incredibly interested in reading about the funny looking bandages, blood, and boogers post-surgery. Yeah, I know. I already made a daring post about puke here (Oh yeah; there is puke too!), would the post-surgery details be any worse than that? Yes. Some of them really, really are. But I'm doing my best to infuse the whole shindig with some humor to soften the blow. So, if you're not of the feint-of-heart persuasion--you know where to go to read about MySeptoplastyExperience(.blogspot.com).

Breathe (and bathe) on folks! Breathe (and bathe) on!

WINNER: Pixie Dust Miniatures Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:01:00 +0000

So, this was the first time I have ever had to go to another winner! The first post that won did not post their email address--tisk tisk! Be sure when you enter my giveaways that each comment you post contains an email address. You can't win if I can't find you, eh? ;)

The second time I used the Random.org random number generator to select a winning post, it selected #41, which corresponded to the following post:

I follow Pixie Dust Miniatures via gfc.

This post was made by Basci from Budapest (I'm amazed and flattered that someone from Hungary found their way to my wee blog)! You're the new owner of one very special Poison Apple Pie Miniature courtesy of the lovely Caroline at the Pixie Dust Miniatures shop at Etsy.com! Your info has been sent to Caroline and she'll make sure you get your new swag soon. :)

To everyone else, once again, thank you for entering the giveaway! Special thanks to Caroline at Pixie Dust Miniatures!

~Sarah T.

GIVEAWAY: Pixie Dust Miniatures

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:57:00 +0000

Quick post for today numero dos, including prologue disclaimer:

I am currently at home recovering from sinus surgery. In anticipation of this, having been dedicated to this giveaway a few months ago, I wrote this giveaway post up a few weeks prior to the surgery, so that while on recovery, the only work that would be required would be to click on the "Publish Post" button. However, I did add a brief postscript at the end in light of certain events in the news. Anyway, don't let my paranoid mood ruin this giveaway for you--it's freaking sweet!

I first featured this Etsy shop owner in my St. Patty's Day post. I'm thrilled to bring back Caroline of Pixie Dust Miniatures!

I said it before in my March post and I'll say it again: miniatures astound me! To get the scale down perfectly, the patience it must take to create the physical and painted details--the skill it takes to create these little gems just amazes me! In addition to magically themed miniatures, this shop has jewelry and seasonal items for sale:

$48 Gingerbread House Christmas Tree Ornament

This is one of her awesome seasonal offerings. Like many of her other works, this piece is to 1:12 scale. If the fingers in the picture don't size it down enough for you this piece measures 2.3cm X 2cm.

$10 (sold separately) Phoenix Feather Quill & Griffin Feather Quill

I was really excited to discover that Caroline works in the film industry and has actually worked on miniature models of the Hogsmeade Village for the Harry Potter films!


$25 (sold separately) Jar of Moss, Jar of Ground Stars, Jar of Pixie Dust

I am HUGE FAN of her Bottled Jars and Magic collection! Anybody out there want to know what to get me for Christmas, or perhaps a mid-year early birthday surprise? *wink wink*

I also want to give a quick shout-out to Caroline's other Etsy store which also deals with miniatures, but of the high-quality dollhouse food variety: Hummingbird Miniatures (please be aware that this giveaway is for an item from the Pixie Dust Miniatures shop only):

$65 Chocolate Birthday Cake Board, 1:12 Scale Dollhouse Miniature

Now, so we can all get to know Caroline a little better, here is her interview:

1. So, tell us a little about your self—in no more than 5 words. Mwahahaha!

I hark from Great Britain but currently live in Los Angeles California and work in the film industry as a concept artist and miniature scale model-maker (I made Hogsmeade Village for 'Harry Potter 5').

2. Name your all-time favorite: TV show, Movie, Music Album (or Song or Artist).

All-time favorite TV show is 'Robin of Sherwood' which was a hugely popular Robin Hood show in England. Mostly I just fancied the pants off the actor that played Robin.

3. What’s your astrological sign? Do you believe in that stuff? Do you think the stars influence your creativity?

I'm Pisces and although I don't give much credence to astrology, every time I see a description of a Piscean it rings true... artistic, creative, dreamer, 'head in the clouds', overly sensitive!

4. When did you start crafting? Was there some sort of singular event that caused you to start creating and crafting?

I started making miniatures at the age of 7 or 8 to make tuck money in Primary school (elementary school). I'd sell tiny cakes and sandwiches made out of FIMO to kids my age. Grew up, forgot about this childhood hobby and then re-discovered the passion whilst walking through a Los Angeles mall where a teeny boutique was selling miniature cakes! I remember thinking "oh I can do better than that!"

5. What kinds of things inspire you when you start making something new?

I have two stores - one for realistic food (Hummingbird Miniatures) and the other, my favorite, is for everything fantastical and magical (Pixie Dust Miniatures). I'm inspired to create by fairy-tales, myths and folklore, interesting antiques, nature, and of course Halloween!

6. Do you have any favorite items to make? If so, what are they and why? If not, why not?

My favorite item to make is the little glass jars of magic matter. It's so much fun pouring glitter or faux moss into a tiny hand-blown glass jar, capping it off with real silk and labeling it as something extraordinary like 'Ground Star Dust'!

7. So what do you do when you’re not making uber-awesome stuff for your Etsy shop?

When I'm not crafting as a miniature artisan I work in the film industry in Hollywood, spend time with friends, go to the cinema, eat out etc.

8. Speaking of your shop: how did you come up with your name for it?

I chose 'Hummingbird Miniatures' because I have these two minuscule hummingbirds that come and hover around my bedroom window a lot! And 'Pixie Dust Miniatures' because I wanted something that sounded like a tiny pinch of magic.

9. Do you have any other advice for other aspiring Etsy crafters?

Advice for other Etsy crafters is; find something you're good at, perfect it and set up shop. "If you build it they will come!"

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Caroline has generously offered up one of her delicious-dastardly-looking, Posion Apple Pies from her Fairy Tale Range, value $19.95:

The Pie measures 1" round and is crafted in 1:12 scale and is made from polymer clay.

Sorry, nothing else in the photos are included--just the sweet, sweet pie!

Contest Rules:

Contest is open worldwide!

Mandatory: You must visit the Pixie Dust Miniatures shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/pixiedustminiatures), find an item you love, love, love and come back here to tell us all about it in a comment. Don't forget to include your email address (ex: SpiffyStuffBlog at gmail dot com --like this to avoid spamming from bots). You can't win if I can't contact you. ;) This counts as one entry.
Optional:

Follow my blog (hopefully with GFC so I can verify)! Again, include your email address. This counts as one entry.
Follow Caroline's blog: PixieDustMiniatures.blogspot.com Include your email address and a username so we can verify. This counts as one entry.
Heart the Pixie Dust Miniatures shop on Etsy. Please post your Etsy username so we can verify this entry. And again, don't forget that email address! This counts as one entry.
Make a purchase from the Pixie Dust Miniatures shop. Caroline will help me keep track of this kind of traffic as needed, but please post your Etsy username so we can verify this entry + email address. This counts as a whopping 5 entries!
Like Pixie Dust Miniatures on Facebook. Be sure to leave a username so we can verify your entry and your email address. This counts as one entry.
Advertise this contest: A Tweet, a Facebook mention, a blog post about this contest on your own blog. Anything like this would count as an additional, separate entry. For each ad/mention so be sure to post separate comments here so that each will count as a separate entry. Be sure to post links or usernames so that your shout-out can be verified. And finally--don't forget to include your email address.

This contest will close promptly at 10:00 p.m. CST on Sunday, June 5, 2011.

Shortly thereafter I will pick a winner based on their post number which will be picked by the free number generator at Random.org. I will notify the winner to gather name & mailing address. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll give his/her info to Caroline and she'll send the Poison Apple Pie prize your way. If I do not hear back from the winner in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected. Sound good?

Then post away!

Good luck to everyone and thank you for participating!

PS: Last night the good folks of Joplin, Missouri suffered from a pretty terrible tornado outbreak. Lots of property was damaged and many lives were lost. If you would like to help in the disaster relief, MSNBC.com has provided plenty of links whether your interest lie with volunteering, fund donation, animal rescue, etc.

Joplin Tornado: How You Can Help

WINNER: CMCDesigns Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah T.) — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Quick post for today numero uno:

The Random.org random number generator selected #17, which corresponded to the following post:

I absolutely love the Delicious Lil Cupcake Baby Hat!! It is so unique and creative.

Congrats Angelica! You're the new owner of 2 spifftastic new Sophie Scarves courtesy of the lovely Caitlin at the CMCDesigns shop at Etsy.com! Your info has been sent to Caitlin and she'll make sure you get your new swag soon. :)

To everyone else, once again, thank you for entering the giveaway! Special thanks to Caitlin at CMCDesigns—see you around Facebook!