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
Paper Coolness
February 6, 2009 by Emily · 9 Comments
As I was doing a little window shopping of my own, I couldn’t help but notice the cool ways people are using their paper. For example:
The classic sock monkey design by Kim’s Custom Gifts. This one is printable too so that you can print it out as much as you want onto gift tags, note cards and stationery.
Or, how about this randomly cool sweet tooth baby shower game by Expressions Paperie? If you love candy, this one’s for you. Simply have your guests choose which candy best fits with each description and award the person with the most correct answers. (There are actually 20 entries in the original - I only listed 4 for posting purposes).
Then I found this darling birdhouse kit…made out of paper. Created by Scrap Simply, this easy peasy project comes with everything that you need to make your very own paper birdhouse and includes designer papers, brads, stickers and flowers.
And finally, how cute are these family matchbook mini albums by Paper Blessings? Each album comes with 8 pages inside that are ready for pictures. All are handcrafted, hand stamped and hand colored too.
Vintage Modern with Amy Butler
January 26, 2009 by Emily · 12 Comments
After gazing at Amy Butler’s bright and beautiful patterns, Spring feels like it is just around the corner. Amy Butler is a fabric, fashion, home and print designer known for her fresh and modern vintage style. With bright colors and gorgeous prints, her designs are splashed throughout the fabric industry in handbags, bedding, sewing & craft patterns (free pattern downloads too!), stationery, gift wrap, project books and home design . I love her style and her commitment to give back.
She has a shoppe too! Not only is this gift wrap an eye-catching display of green and pink elegance, it is made with 100% recycled/biodegradable tissue paper, 100% post-consumer waste paper, soy based ink, and all of it can be recycled after use. Isn’t that impressive? It makes gift wrapping pretty irresistible.
Queen for a Day
January 19, 2009 by Emily · 10 Comments
Birthdays are the best {My husband and I are celebrating ours this week}! So, while I was looking for ”birthday ideas”, I happened to find these charming handmade paper crowns from Paper Lady Invites. These crowns would be the perfect way transform any “normal” day into a “super special” one. You can even turn the crown into a card and write on the back. Truly a unique and memorable way to say “Happy Birthday” to your loved ones, don’t you think?
So go ahead, check them out, you know you want to! {Crowns priced as low as $3.75 and $1 shipping on all items}
Heirloom Paperie
January 15, 2009 by Emily · 7 Comments
I think vintage art is beautiful. You’ll probably find me raving about vintage every so often since I’m such a fan. If you’re with me, then I know you will be head over heals for Heirloom Paperie. This shoppe won my heart with its stunning photography, vintage photos, custom silhouettes and cards.
Candis, founder of Heirloom Paperie, will help you turn your ordinary photos into vintage art. These quality pieces are ”meant to mean something” so that they will become a treasure in your home for years to come.
*FREEBIE ALERT* If you want to take home a small piece of this paper goodness for free, every Tuesday, you will have a chance to download free templates from her blog! And you don’t want to miss her $5 Fridays with more customizable templates at a great price.
Simple Paper Streamers
December 30, 2008 by Emily · 17 Comments
Looking for a simple homemade way to add extra color to your party decor? *Perfect for Casual New Years Eve Parties* This is so easy that your kids can do it with you! (Although, scissors are involved in this project, so they may need to use “safe children’s scissors” or have extra help and supervision).
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
- Tape
- Paper - Any color or design you want, (you can use colored printer paper, cardstock or even *reuse paper scraps*) - you could also use plain white paper and color it, write names on it or add glitter.
- Scissors
Once you have your paper and scissors, start cutting a strip (about 1/2 inch thick) at the end of your paper - cut it straight (almost to the tip - but not all the way) leave about 1 inch to the edge. *You can also cut your strips in wavy lines if you want to add a little flair to your streamers.
Then rotate your paper and start cutting another strip right next to it on the other side and follow the same pattern. You can make your strips as thin or as thick as you would like. After you have your entire paper cut into one long strip, you can leave it long or cut it in half for shorter streamers.
It should look kind of like this:
Finally, hang them up with tape wherever you want - from the ceiling, from a door frame, or you can use them to decorate a room or a desk!
I make these paper streamers all the time. I made these this morning in about 10 minutes! You can use them for any party throughout the year too.
A Very Green Christmas
December 12, 2008 by Lauren · 6 Comments
Going eco-friendly this holiday season is not only smart and savvy, it’s totally hip! These next shoppes have everything you’ll need to celebrate a very Green Christmas:
Adorn your gifts with these beautiful Upcycled Gift Bows made, from hand-crafted with high quality matte catalog paper, and found at Pretty Little Things.
Let Santa stuff one of these Tiny Upcycled Stockings, sewn by Wonders in a funky patchwork pattern from t-shirt pieces.
Send out a little love to Mother Earth with these Plantable Mini Tags and Notecards from Claudia’s Creations. They’re made with recycled paper, embedded with wildflower seeds and – the Christmas card that keeps on giving!
Lauren’s blog: Supermom Central - tips, tricks and tidbits for the aspiring Supermom.
Journaling
October 27, 2008 by Michelle · 12 Comments
When my daughter Madelyn was born I began writing a journal for her. For me, this is one of the most important things I do. I try to write in it regulary and choose to write in letter format. I write to her about things she likes at the moment, funny things she does, my hopes for her and generally just little tidbits about her that she won’t remember and I may not remember in a few years.
Now that I also have twin boys, I keep journals for them as well, but have found that I don’t write in all their journals as often as I would like. However, I still feel it is so important. I hope to give the kids their journals either when they leave for college or get married. I hope that it is something they will be able to open up, read and know how much they are loved. Do you keep a journal? You can find lovely journals from Paper Posey to help get you started.
To get started on your journal make sure first to keep your journal in a safe spot and choose a time to write that will be relaxing with no distrubtions. As a mom of three I know that’s hard, so I choose to write at night after all the kids are in bed and asleep. There is really no right or wrong way to write. Just write about whatever comes to mind and it is sure to turn out great. Writing down these memories for our children is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. So go ahead. Get writing!
Michelle’s shoppe: Sweet Mady’s Paper, her blog: www.sweetmadysnotes.blogspot.com - stationery, invitations and notes.
Printable Art by Vink
October 2, 2008 by Emily · 6 Comments
Design by Vink is a collection of colorful printable/digital designs, images and papers for all kinds of projects, including paper-craft, scrapbooking and cardmaking. You may also cut these out to use as embellishments, tags and patterns.
Just perfect for craft-making during the Holidays too. Here’s a little peek into a few of the images that you could print and cut out for Halloween projects that you may be planning. These little pumpkins and monsters make me smile, aren’t they great?
L.J Ink ~ Handmade with Care
August 25, 2008 by Emily · 7 Comments
I am absolutely captivated by beautiful artwork and can’t help sharing this memorable collection with you. Incredibly lustrous and rich in color, each printed illustration by L.J Ink is original and handmade with care.
“L.J Ink strives to create designs that are simple and fresh whether they are for your little one’s room or your home.” You will definitely want to take a moment to look at this wonderful collection, especially as all prints range from about $18 to $20!
Sweet Discount:
Take 15% off too! Simply use code: LITTLEWINDOW.
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