Goodbye to Little Window Shoppe
May 18, 2009 by Emily · 62 Comments
My Dearest Window Shoppe Readers and Friends,
This post has taken me over a month to write - partly because this is my last post on this blog. I am so sad to announce that as of today, Little Window Shoppe is closing for good.
The decision was not taken lightly and was really hard to make, but a combination of factors came together that brought me to this post…very much wanting to spend more time with my family (I have a very busy two year old who needs more mommy-time), 
getting ready for baby #2 in November (I’ve been out sick for two months! But it’s totally worth it as we’re so excited to have a new baby come to our family), and finally getting ready for a move to a new state with my family this Summer (my hubby is starting a new job).
{Photo source: Wilson Library Reserve}
I have learned so much from blogging at Little Window Shoppe and will be forever grateful for the kind friends I have made and the amazing experiences that I have had here!! Thank you so much for taking time to make Little Window shoppe a part of your lives and for being such a fantastic community. And also, thank you for all of the nice emails and inquiries about how we are doing.
Before I say goodbye for good, I want to thank a few people who helped me along the way:
First and foremost, my husband Scott. He is an incredibly supportive husband and friend and was the first person to listen to my every idea and concern throughout my blogging adventures. He has also been Superman at my house and has cooked, cleaned, taken care of our two year old and helped me out while I was sick over the last seven weeks! I couldn’t ask for a better man in my life and I love him so much!!
I also wanted to thank Holly of Tutus and Turtles. She is so cool and listened and talked to me for hours on the phone as I worked out how I would end my Window Shoppe blogging days. Her blog has been an inspiration to me from the beginning and I think that her blog ideas rock!!
Finally, I wanted to thank each of the writers and contributors for Little Window Shoppe. Each of them had creative and beautiful ideas to share and I’m so grateful and honored that they wanted to be part of this blog with me. They have become some of my dearest friends and were the best group of writers a blog ever had! They even sent me tulips when I was sick (just about made me cry, I felt so loved).
Please visit each of their blogs to keep up with their cool ideas!
- Vanessa - her blog: I Never Grew Up
- Lauren - her blog: Supermom Central
- Michelle - her shoppe: Sweet Mady’s Paper
- Michaelle - her blog: Monkeys Momma
- Cassie - her shoppe: Madison Envy
- Kelly - her blog: Albany Mommy
Also, I wanted to leave you with a few additional recommendations of blogs I love - in case you are looking for new places to subscribe:
- www.simplemom.net - this is my absolute favorite blog to follow…it has the best family tips and ideas that make sense, the ideas are easy to follow and I just can’t get enough of its coolness.
- www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com - artsy, tons of crafts, diy ideas, printouts, and the best time-wasters ever.
- www.thepioneerwoman.com - recipes, photoshop tutorials, photography 101, down-to-earth life.
- www.makeandtakes.com - the coolest (and most creative) kids crafts ever!
- www.metropolitanmama.net - and for all you contest lovers, this Metro Mama has excellent giveaways all of the time - and she writes helpful articles with tips for parents. Love it.
There are so many more…but I think this is a great start.
If you want to stay in touch with me, you can follow me at a few sites:
- www.emilyjune.com (I’ll still be designing blogs and websites - starting again this fall).
- I’m also going to be checking in and updating my facebook page and my family blog regularly. They will have weekly updates of my family life and the cool fun things we are doing.
**If you want to stay in touch with me at my family blog or on facebook, just email me or leave a comment letting me know and I’ll send you the links.**
Thank you again for making this the best blogging experience I have ever had!!
Always,
Emily
Geninne’s Art Store
April 3, 2009 by Michaelle · 9 Comments
I have been watching the work of Geninne, an artist from Mexico City, for some time now. She is just so wonderfully creative! Although she works mostly in watercolor, she is also gifted in other areas of artistry as well. She has even started hand-painting rocks!
My favorite creations of hers are her bright and beautiful bird prints from original watercolor works. The details are vivid and imaginative. Check out Geninne’s Art Store on Etsy for original art from this very talented lady. If you would like to see even more of Geninne’s work, you can visit her blog, Geninne’s Art Blog.
Written by Michaelle of Monkey’s Momma
Shrinky Sheets
February 27, 2009 by Lauren · 19 Comments
Any self-respecting child of the 80’s should get a little giddy when they read these next two words:
Shrinky Dinks!
Oh, was there a cooler invention on the planet when you were a kid? You color them, you cut them out, you BAKE them! Artwork was never more fun! Except now it IS and here’s why:
I’ve discovered do-it-yourself BLANK shrinky-dink sheets that will go through your printer! Is anybody else getting slightly light-headed with the creative possibilities that lie in store?
- Print your or your children’s artwork off and turn it into home décor!
- Have hours of fun with your kids making and baking their favorite characters.
- Print your photos off on them and make “mini-me”s out of your relatives and friends.
- Design, print and then create your own embellishments for scrapbooks, note cards, present tops, etc.
- Add a little hole punch before you throw ‘em in the oven and string them up into unique necklaces, earrings, bracelets, backpack tags, gift tags, etc.
- Once made, glue them to rings, headbands, notebooks, magnets, keychains, etc.
Enough said! They’re now called Shrinky Sheets (I’m still partial to “dinks” myself but what are ya gonna do?) and you can hook yourself up for a mere twelve bucks over at The Curiosity Shoppe. And just so you know, it’s required that you rock out to Madonna and/or Bruce Springsteen while working on this GNARLY project.
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Papers Edge
February 19, 2009 by Vanessa · 5 Comments
Papers Edge fills the void we as parents sometimes have when looking for modern and affordable children’s art. Their limited edition giclee prints are the perfect gift for a new baby and you can use the prints to decorate every room in your home, from the nursery to the family room.
Emily offers custom paper silhouettes that capture your child’s personality and custom family silhouettes too. She is currently working on a custom masterpiece for my family and I cannot wait. She displays love and joy into her art beautifully and every print makes me smile.
Written by Vanessa of I Never Grew Up
You Can Make These
February 12, 2009 by Emily · 10 Comments
Easy Felt Magnets
Hello magnets! I’ve been looking for clever ways to brighten up my fridge, so when I found this little DIY Tutorial for felt magnets I was really happy. They seem easy to make, and the results look quite cute. I think I’m going to try this today. Check out the instructions here.
Recycled Magazine Holder
This girl wins the “coolest recycled craft” award in my book! I was so impressed with her tutorial. You can learn how to turn an ordinary priority mailbox into a sweet and stylish (fabric covered) magazine holder here. (Sewing not required.)
Play Dough
The perfect indoor activity! This play dough ‘recipe’ is not too salty, not too dry and the directions help you to make just the right mix so that you can enjoy it for hours. You can read all about it here.
Pretty Art, Prints, Cards and Stationery
January 30, 2009 by Emily · 10 Comments
I simply couldn’t wait to share these beautiful shoppes with you - their art, prints, cards and stationery made me smile, such pretty work.
“Aa is for Airplane” is part of an Alphabet Print Series by ModernPop - where you can find even more beautiful illustrations with letters and numbers (you may want to have your favorite web bookmarker ready to go here).
What is it about little chicks, they are just so cute! Find this one on stationery at Ink Obsession Designs - (I heart this shoppe - the designs are so sweet and simple - it’s totally my style).
This pretty card, found at Expressions by Devin, is handmade, handstamped and embossed by Devin herself. She takes custom orders too! I think pink and green look so good together - especially in this design.
Print * Pattern * Paper is the home for this lovely “Shop Talk” print. This shoppe has beautiful art, prints and bags - all inspired by daily life. Love it all!
Make Your Own I Spy Bottle
January 13, 2009 by Vanessa · 8 Comments
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
This was a very fun simple craft to do and will help me when my daughter needs something quietly to play. I have been keeping it in my purse and it has gotten me out of a few tantrums all ready.
- First, find a plastic bottle – I found the Bolthouse Juice bottles work the best, they are the perfect size and have no ridges or indentations on them. Clean and dry it out very well.
- We collected anything we thought could fit in the bottle from bottle-caps to charms to stickers. When we used a sticker we just rubbed whatever substance we were going to fill the bottle with (sand, rice, beans) on the back side of the sticker so it would not stick to the edge of the bottle.
- Then we added rice, beans, or sand (or a mixture to the bottle) to the bottle (fill it up just enough so that when you twirl the bottle around you can find the objects). Note: If using sand, make sure the bottle is absolutely dry, I even took a blow dryer to it, or it will make a big mess for you.
- Finally, I put some glue on the lid and screwed it shut. While adding the objects to the bottle we kept a list going. Then I typed up the list on the computer, laminated it, and attached it with a string. A perfect craft to do with any age.
You could also try these ideas for fillers:
- A bottle with alphabet letters in it, to help your kids recognize their alphabet.
- A bottle with numbers in it.
- Bottles to go along with each season.
Written by Vanessa of I Never Grew Up
Activities for Kids: Homemade Bubbles
January 7, 2009 by Emily · 6 Comments
January has been the perfect month to help spark my mommy creativity. Since it has been quite chilly outside, I have been looking for fun activities and projects to do indoors with my toddler. He loves bubbles and is easily entertained with them, so bubble-blowing has been a regular part of our day these last few weeks. How about you? What are a few of your favorite indoor activities to do with your kids?
Want a quick way to make your own solution? Here it is:
Bubble Solution
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons light karo syrup or 2 tablespoons sugar (this thickens the mix)
- 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid (Dawn or Joy) (you can even use baby shampoo too)
Mix the solution together in a bowl or shallow pan and if you have an empty bubble container and wand, simply reuse them and have fun! Tip: Letting the solution sit for a day may improve the bubble quality.
If you’re looking for creative bubble wand ideas, try some of these:
Bubble Wand ideas
- Cookie Cutters - they are the perfect size for dipping and blowing bubbles.
- Fly Swatter (unused of course) or a strawberry basket (one of the green plastic ones with the small holes on the sides) - just dip either of these into your mix and they will help you to make a lot of tiny bubbles. You can also cut these up into square pieces and make wands out of them (glue the pieces onto a straw or stick).
- Pipe Cleaners - these are fun to use when you want to make a wand loop with cool shapes (hearts, stars, squares).
- Wire hanger - straighten it out and turn one section into a bubble loop (just be sure to cover any sharp edges with strong tape so that it’s safe for everyone to use).
{top photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Carmen Martínez}
Eco-Friendly Art Supplies for Creative Kids
January 6, 2009 by Vanessa · 9 Comments
Stubby Pencil Studio is the perfect place to find eco-friendly art supplies that are healthy for your children and the environment. I placed an order for Christmas last year and we were so impressed with the wonderful customer service and high quality of the products.
Recycled Sketchbooks - Super earth friendly sketchbooks from 100% FSC certified post-consumer waste recycled, acid free and processed chlorine free paper and fully biodegradable glue and vegetable based inks. Various Prices.
Crayon Rocks - Made from non-toxic soy wax and tinted with natural mineral powders, Crayon Rocks make vibrant colors and beautiful textures. The pebble shape crayons are easy to hold and encourage the use of tripod grip to develop fine motor skills. 16 Crayon Rocks for $6.95
Smencils - Made from recycled newspaper wrapped around #2 graphite and soaked in environmentally-friendly fragrance liquids. Cotton Candy, Tropical Blast, Cinnamon, Watermelon, & Root Beer Set of 5 for $5.95.
Stubby Pencil Studio is my new place to buy all of my art supplies. They also have non-toxic toys & gifts, recycled cards and personalized stationery. It truly makes me feel good to provide my children with art supplies that I know are healthy for them as well as the environment.
Written by Vanessa of I Never Grew Up
Free 2009 Printable Bird Calendar
January 5, 2009 by Emily · 14 Comments
I recently discovered this 2009 Bird Calendar that you can download and print for free! Isn’t it beautiful? Not only does this make a lovely calendar, once you have finished with each month you can simply trim off the bottom half, and frame the illustrations to display at home.
To grab your own, visit: Mibo and sign up for their newsletter to receive this free pdf download.
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