Bitsy Buckets ~ Storage with Style
November 18, 2008 by Emily · 2 Comments
Whether stashing recipes, treats, pencils, or magazines, a designer bucket seems to fit into place in almost any home. Staying organized is a necessity in my home, yet inexplicably, I sometimes find that I have built up quite a collection of odds and ends with which I just cannot part. It is for moments like these that delightful little organizers become my favorite tool.
Decoupaged Bitsy Buckets and Mail Pockets by The Macbeth Collection, are a “favorite catch all” that help to transform your clutter into a sophisticated space that is ready to display. Fortunately, including design in your home that is also functional helps you to achieve better productivity, efficiency, and balance - to name a few.
To make your storage even more meaningful, personalize it! Each of these items may be monogrammed so that they are especially made for you. This additional design touch can turn your ordinary storage container into a cherished accessory that you will want to keep and reuse for years to come.
Crushin’ on Gorgeous Wall Décor
November 14, 2008 by Lauren · 8 Comments
Want to know a little secret about me?
I cannot bear bare walls!
They taunt me like a blank canvas just begging to be covered with creativity. Which is why I’m crushin’ big time on all the gorgeous vinyl wall décor available on Etsy. My wishlist is quite long, but here are the highlights:
With winter on its way, I’m hoping to bring Mother Nature indoors a bit with this Autumn Tree from Decorette, complete with delicately falling leaves.
These Whispy Willows from Scribble It would brighten up any little spot!
And I was totally charmed by this unique spin on the Family Tree from Elephannie.
How do you like to decorate your walls?
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
Little Shop of Shavs
October 30, 2008 by Cassie · 3 Comments
Whether for a birthday, shower, or Christmas, like many of you I love to give unique one of a kind gifts, which is why I liked Little Shop of Shavs, where they offer very unique custom made gift ideas.
After choosing your favorite picture, Shauna (Owner of Little Shop of Shavs) creates a high contrast Black and White painting of it. These modern paintings are awesome and would look so great hanging on the wall, and what grandma wouldn’t love a huge painting of their grandchild to look at every day?
Discount:
Little Shop of Shavs is offering all LWS readers $30 off their order through October. This would be a great time to get a little Christmas shopping done early. Just let Shauna know you are a LWS reader upon checkout for your discount!
Cassie’s shoppe: Madison Envy
Fun Halloween Features
October 20, 2008 by Emily · 2 Comments
Over the weekend, my family and I went to a witch-palooza event at a little boutique village near our house. It was so much fun to see all of the shoppes and boutiques decorated for Halloween with treats and funny-looking witches. Likewise, many of the online shoppes I have come across lately are also ready for Halloween and I wanted to display some of their work today.
My first feature is from Panjo Kids “Super Capes for Super Kids!” Now what would Halloween be like without a few good capes to play with?
These spooky soaps from Twin Birch Bath and Body are so adorable. I love the rubber ducky pumpkin and witch. There are even more to choose from…Franken~duck, Mummy~duck, Ghostly~duck, & Dracu~duck. Wouldn’t they make perfect party favors? You can even customize the labels.
Tutus are perfect for all occasions and Halloween is no exception. At FaBOWlous, you can create the prettiest costume ensemble complete with poofy clips, bows and a custom made tutu for your little girl.
You can’t go wrong with this sassy little feature from Dainty Couture. Sturdy and personalized with your initial, this little black bag is all ready for to go for trick or treating.
And finally, FALL in love with these cute Trick or Treat and Boo Signs from My Lil’ Doodlebugs.
Emily’s Crafty Dried Herbs and Flower Display
October 16, 2008 by Emily · 7 Comments
Pretty displays of dried herbs and flowers in your home really seem to bring out the essence of Fall, don’t you think? A few years ago, I had the chance to be a tour guide for an old 1800’s style farmhouse. It was gorgeous and simply unforgettable. Hanging herbs and flowers are one of the signature displays that you will see in one of these historic homes and during the time that I was there, I developed a deep love for this type of vintage art and design.
{herb photos shown above courtesy of straightfromthefarm & bhg}
As I was out and about “boutiquing” (is that a word?) one day I found the prettiest dried herb/flower display. I seriously wanted to buy it on the spot (remember my obsession with 1800’s art), but I wasn’t quite ready to pay $40 for it, so I promised myself that I would make an herb/flower arrangement of my own for less.
And I did just that…it was really fun, simple and it turned out perfectly for my kitchen. Here is one of the arrangements I made, so proud! ;) I love the life and color that it adds to my kitchen.
In case you’re thinking about making one too, here’s what you’ll need to do: Hop on over to your local craft store and buy a little shelf ($4), black craft paint ($1) and a few bunches of dried flowers ($4) (unless you like to dry your own from your garden) and raffia ribbon ($1) (you should only have to spend about $10 total).
You’ll also need scissors (to cut the raffia), a paint brush (for the shelf), and a broom to clean up after.
Dried Flower bunches:
Raffia Ribbon:
After your shelf is painted and dry, just cut the herbs or flowers into a little bunch and tie it to the shelf rod with your raffia. Pretty and affordable! Have you made a display like this before?
Create a Matchstick Garden
October 10, 2008 by Lauren · 8 Comments
My new favorite thing to give at birthday parties is the Matchstick Garden! These adorable little matchbooks are filled with what looks like paper sticks inside. But give them a bit of dirt, water, sunshine and in a few weeks you’ll have a lovely little garden!
You can buy them in four different assortments: Wildflowers, Mixed Herbs, Italian Garden or Mixed Greens. With the nippy fall weather keeping us indoors more, it’s so nice to still have flowers to care for. Plus, it’s such a fun way to teach your kids about growing a garden and making the world a bit more green!
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
Fresh Ideas for Modern Living
October 9, 2008 by Cassie · 8 Comments
In the last couple weeks, I have loved finding new Halloween décor ideas while surfing blogs, all of the creative people out there amaze me. I came across Matthew Mead from another blog and really liked his clean, fresh, and modern ideas. You can take a look at more of his entertaining tips on his web site Matthew Mead Style.
He also has two awesome books that you can find at Barnes and Noble and Borders Bookstores. Tricks and Treats is his Halloween book and recently Matthew wrote an entertaining book called Entertaining Simple.
The best thing about Matthew Mead’s ideas are that they are simple and easy that won’t take going out to the store to buy all new items, they are meant for real people like you and me!
What are your favorite Halloween décor ideas that you have discovered this year?
Cassie’s shoppe: Madison Envy - offering the latest items in fashion.
Handipoints Chore Charts Giveaway
October 3, 2008 by Emily · 18 Comments
Remember this post? Handipoints Chore Charts are a great tool that help give our kids that little extra motivation they need to complete their daily or weekly chores and responsibilities. It’s a beautifully set up reward program that helps children actually look forward to completing their chores, as they can input their chore points to create a Cool Cat Handipoint character that lets them participate in all kinds of online games and cartoons.
Win It:
If you love Handipoints and use it with your children, you could win a Key Ring of 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze Keys, to use at Handipoints (a $20 value). Kids on Handipoints use Keys to buy premium, exclusive clothes and furniture for their cat characters.
To win this key ring, just leave a quick comment or send an email to contest@littlewindowshoppe.com. The winner will be chosen at random on Monday October 13th and will be announced here, so be sure to check back to see if you’re the winner.
Contest Closed *CONGRATULATIONS TO Kristen M. SHE IS THE RANDOMLY CHOSEN WINNER FOR THIS CONTEST! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED - PLEASE STOP BY AGAIN AS THERE ARE NEW CONTESTS EACH WEEK!*
Sweet Shoppe: OneFourThree
October 2, 2008 by Cassie · 3 Comments
Twins, Jane and Kristine, are full of style, personality, and creativity. Their Etsy shop OneFourThree has darling jewelry and items including vintage fabric hot pads, which would be a darling gift with a spatula and favorite cookie recipe. One Four Three just recently opened so this would be one to add to your favorite etsy shops, because I know they have a lot more coming!
Cassie’s shoppe: Madison Envy - offering the latest items in fashion.
Organize your Children’s Artwork
October 1, 2008 by Kimberly · 6 Comments
There’s a problem that’s been occurring in my house. I’ve been hiding the problem in a box in my office for about three years now. Tell me if this sounds familiar . . . your son or daughter comes running out of preschool holding up a freshly painted piece of very prized artwork. They are so, so excited to share this artwork with you. Of course, you being the admiring mother that you are just turn to mush at the sight of any piece of art your child brings home.
If you’re anything like me you can’t seem to part with any of them. I see years down the road and think of opening this box holding treasures from years past. I figure each child can accumulate a box (at least) of goodies a year. Times that by 3 children and by the time my kids are all grown I will have approximately 45 boxes of “goodies” (maybe not so good anymore) sitting in my basement. I need to come up with a solution and fast!
Here are few tips that I think are a great way to start organizing this art:
First, I’m starting with a clothesline in my kids’ playroom. The area needs decoration anyway and wouldn’t it be a nice place to display their art? And they can also share what they’ve made with their friends.
Or how about making placemats made out of their art? Simply take a piece of their art and laminate it. Voila, a placemat! Or why not photocopy the art and make it into a calendar?
You could also scan or photograph the art and save it on a cd. Or if you really want to save the actual art, make sure to get acid free storage boxes as to aid in preservation.
Qoop is a great place to start, here you can have your children’s art turned into calendars, posters, and soft-sided photo books. I’ve used this shortcut when I’ve been behind with scrapbooking, but still want my photos in an album.
And if you have a very special drawing that your son or daughter has done and you would like it preserved for years to come, I suggest you check out www.totallyoutofhand.com. You can wear this art around your neck or on your keychain or pin…however you like, it can be kept close to your heart.
Kimberly’s shoppe: The Saucha Shop, her blog http://www.sauchagirl.blogspot.com - specializing in handmade, fabric-covered accessories. Special Saucha Shop Offer: Free shipping on Kimberly’s Boo Bracelet until 10/24/08.
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