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
Make Your Own Cinnamon Stick Candle Holder
December 18, 2008 by Emily · 6 Comments
Time to shine! When you want to brighten a room with a little bit of ”handmade-holiday”, this festive candle holder ought to do the trick. This easy-to-make Cinnamon Stick Candle Holder is a crafty project idea courtesy of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.
And really, what would I do without Jo-Ann? This craft and fabric store is a place I can lose myself for hours. Oh the craft possibilities.
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• 1 Glass container (you can go with any size or shape - round, small, large, square)
• 2 pkgs Cinnamon sticks (may be less if you are making a smaller size)
• 1 spool Green wire-edged green ribbon, 1 1/2″ wide
• 1 Pine sprig
• 1 Small pinecone
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Glass cleaner and paper towels
DIRECTIONS:
1. Clean glass container.
2. Using wire cutters, cut all cinnamon sticks to a length 1/2″ below top of glass container.
3. Refer to photo in placing all materials.
4. Glue cinnamon sticks to sides of container. Let glue dry thoroughly before proceeding.
5. Wrap ribbon around container and tie a knot. Trim ends at an angle.
6. Glue pine sprig on knot. Glue pine cone in center of pine sprig.
Optional design: Add small berries or holiday-themed picks if desired.
Make Your Own Winter Berry Wreath
November 12, 2008 by Emily · 12 Comments
This is my favorite Winter Berry wreath! I have it at home proudly displayed and since I thought it was so pretty, I took a few pictures of it and put it up on the front page of Little Window Shoppe a week ago. Since posting it up, I have had a lot of questions about it! So, due to popular demand, I wanted to write a quick tutorial with easy steps on how to make your own gorgeous wreath this year.
Supplies
- An old or new grapevine wreath base (size = your choice). You can buy these at Michaels for about $3 - $6. Mine also has extra dried twigs included in it, in fact you could dry your own twigs and make a base out of it…just secure it together with floral wire.
- A bunch of your favorite freshly picked Red Winter Berry Stems - (the artificial stems are also found at various craft stores).
- Floral Wire - to secure everything in place and to make a hanger for your wreath.
- Scissors and/or a wire cutter
- (Extra) Ribbon - if you want to add a ribbon to your wreath.
Easy Steps
Once you have your grapevine/twig base and your Winter Berry stems, start weaving them into the base and secure them with floral wire. If you can’t keep it in place with just the wire, you can also use hot glue (I like to avoid glue if at all possible on this project, but it can definitely help hold it all together if nothing else is working).
Finally, once the stems are intertwined and secured, you can use your floral wire to make a hanger for your wreath or to attach a pretty bow. This is a fun and easy little project for the holidays and will help you to save a lot of money too! Many of pre-made berry wreaths are selling for about $20 to $40 (depending on the size). So, have fun and keep your cash this season.
Autumn Adorable
September 26, 2008 by Lauren · 10 Comments
This is my favorite time of year! The evenings are getting chilly, the mornings are a bit brisk, and I’m happily digging through our hall closet for furry scarves and soft, snuggly caps. I just love bundling my kiddos in hand-knits for a little afternoon leaf-stomping! Etsy is by far the best place to find wonderful wool accessories for your little ones – check out a few of my faves for this Fall:
On A Small Scale makes the sweetest caps around!
Even the tiniest hands can be warm and stylish with these Fuzzy Paws Knits mittens – and what child wouldn’t want to wrap up in this button scarf from Twenty Four Years? How totally Autumn adorable!
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
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