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
Valentine’s Day Fun for Kids
February 9, 2009 by Emily · 7 Comments
We sure love Valentine’s Day around here! This small collection displays some of my favorite finds for you today with even more fun ideas you can make at home. It’s not to late to try these out!
In the Heart Issue of Kids Craft Weekly, you can learn how to eat your watermelon in style! Check out the easy tutorial here.
My favorite creative crafter, Marie, wrote a sweet article for Alpha Mom with instructions for how to make this Heart Tic Tac Toe Game. Doesn’t this look fun?
FREE PRINTABLES:
And what would this holiday be like with out FREE Printable Valentines?! I found this charming Dino Card at Cottage Industrialist. Click Here to Download! (PDF)
Finally, these cute Zebra Valentine Cards by Bunny Cakes won over my heart this morning. Download the Set Here. (PDF)
Cherry Filled Chocolate Wafers
February 4, 2009 by Emily · 23 Comments
I think we’re about ready to establish a traditional treat for Valentine’s Day at my house…these Cherry Chocolate Wafers have tipped the scales just enough to win the Norton Family Favorite award.
I first made them last Valentine’s Day after discovering this recipe from my friend Michelle and I just made them again this morning! We all think they are delish and I’m pretty sure they will win over your entire family too.
There are just five ingredients:
- Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Maraschino cherries
*Here’s the tricky part, the Chocolate Wafers are pretty hard to find and they are not found at every grocery store. Michelle says that she found her box at Fry’s (if you have one close by). They are in the cookie aisle, usually on the very top shelf, by the gourmet cookies. Here is a picture of what you are looking for:
If you still can’t find them at your local store, you can buy them from Amazon (in a pack of six or twelve). I actually couldn’t find them at a grocery store near my house this year, so I used Oreo Snack Cakes as an alternative and they worked out great! (You can find these at most grocery stores and even Target.)
Steps
Beat the whipping cream at high speed until stiff peaks form (you will use about 1 cup of cream - possibly 2 cups if you want to make a lot of Wafers). Add sugar to taste, or to make yours extra sweet - add 2 Tablespoons sugar per cup of cream. Then add 1 tsp. vanilla.
*To make them pink for Valentine’s Day, add the cherry juice to the whipped cream (this gives the cream a sweet cherry flavor too).*
Once your cream is whipped, start building! Place one wafer on a plate, add a spoonful of whipped cream, stack another wafer on top, then more whipped cream, one more wafer, and then add the final dollop of whipped cream and top it off with a cherry.
One box of Nabisco Famous Wafers make 14 - 16 finished cookies. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator overnight so the wafers become cake-like. And if you use the alternative, 2 boxes of Oreo Snack Cakes will make about 10 cookies. Oh so yummy.
Pottery Barn Heart Mobile
February 3, 2009 by Emily · 7 Comments
How I LOVE Pottery Barn! For years of happy celebrations, this Plush Heart Mobile from Pottery Barn Kids would be a sweet addition to any home for Valentine’s Day.
Win a Lisa Leonard Designs Necklace
February 2, 2009 by Emily · 512 Comments
Contest Update:
*We have a winner!! The randomly chosen winner for this contest is: #177 Stacie V. - Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who participated - please stop by again as we have a new contest each week.*
As soon as I learned about choosing a “Word of the Year” as a focal point for my yearly goals, I knew then and there it was perfect for me. I LOVED how simple and individual this was when selecting a word of my own.
Leave it to Lisa Leonard Designs to create just the right touch and help bring new meaning to your favorite word. Her gorgeous hand-crafted necklaces are a delightful way to wear your word close to your heart so that it can inspire you throughout the year.
Another favorite style that comes just in the nick of time for Valentines Day, is this pretty XO necklace. It includes a kiss and a hug for you to keep always and makes a lovely gift for someone you love too.
Win It:
So happy to announce that one Window Shoppe reader will win your very own necklace!
To Enter:
Simply leave a quick comment letting us know your favorite necklace style - with your favorite word (if you want this included in your custom design). This giveaway ends on Tuesday, February 10th at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced at this post Wednesday, February 11th. Good luck, everyone!! (Please feel free to read our contest rules for additional details)
(Optional) For extra entries:
- Are you a Subscriber? Just let us know you’re subscribed to Little Window Shoppe in an additional comment.
- And (Or) Add this contest to Twitter. Simply let us know about it with your Twitter name in an additional comment.
Valentine’s Recipes
January 30, 2009 by Lauren · 9 Comments
Whether you share your Valentine’s Day dinner with friends, family, or one special someone, these recipes are sure to send a message of love!
Red Berry Spinach Salad
We’ll start with a simple Spinach Salad, adorned with red raspberries, cranberries or strawberries (that little hint of pink is romantic, don’t you think?). For an added touch, sprinkle slivered almonds on top and drizzle your loved one’s favorite dressing in the shape of a heart!
{Photo by mellowfood}
For sides, put a fun Valentine’s spin on a couple of classics:
Pink Mashed Potatoes
Add a couple of diced beets into a pot with 4 diced potatoes, boil til soft, drain, smoosh, throw in 1 tbsp of butter, a dash of milk and you’ve got Valentine’s Mashed Potatoes! (If you don’t like beets, just put in several drops of red food dye).
{Photo by Olga}
Heart-Shaped Rolls
Buy ready-made crescent rolls dough from the store, stretch them out a bit to fit a heart-shaped cookie cutter, spread them with butter and sprinkle on a pinch of Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder. Bake as directed and serve up Heart-Shaped Herb Rolls.
{Photo by: ©iStockphoto.com/Maria Zhuravleva, Recipe by TasteofHome}
Incredibly Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf
And as a main course, gourmet meatloaf, Valentine’s Style! This recipe is simple, impressive, and oh-so delish. (Found on AllRecipes.com - I actually halved the recipe so that it would fit in my pan.)
{Photo by: ©iStockphoto.com/Darren Fisher}
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 pound colby cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup ketchup (optional)
In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, ketchup and eggs by hand (my two-year-old loved getting in on this action!). Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan (or, in this case, a heart-shaped cake pan). Bake 1 hour in 400 degree oven.
My husband actually said “Wow.” when I served this up. And for some reason, my kiddos were willing to eat the heart-shaped meatloaf they had turned down a couple weeks ago when it was rectangular!
Raspberry Linzer Heart Cookies
Then, after you have dined and Valentined the evening away, you present your loved ones with a plate of these:
(Sigh) Aren’t they beautiful?
I got this recipe from Mary Engelbreit’s Cookies Cookbook, have made them several times over the last few years and they never, ever fail to stun their recipients! Be warned - they are delicate little things, so you’ll want to proceed carefully in this recipe because we all know beauty takes time!
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus a little extra for dusting
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
Finely grind together walnuts and almonds in a food processor. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks. Gradually add in the flour and cornstarch, just until incorporated. Blend in ground nuts.
Divide dough into 4 pieces, shape each into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refridgerate for 4 hours.
On a floured surface, roll out dough one piece at a time until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out as many hearts as you can with the dough provided and transfer them to a greased cookie sheet. On half of those, punch out a smaller heart in the center and remove carefully with a knife. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely. Dust cut-out hearts with confectioners’ sugar. Spread a rounded tsp. of jam onto plain heart cookie bottoms, and cover with the cutout heart tops.
No matter who you sit down to the table with this coming Valentine’s Day (be it your 8 darling children or a mysterious Latin lover), show them how much you love them with these foods from the heart!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
DIY Gift Ideas For Your Valentine
January 29, 2009 by Cassie · 21 Comments
Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to celebrate the ones we love and I just dig the pink colors too! Here are a few gift ideas that are so easy you could whip them up in an hour or so.
Jeanne Winters made this Valentine Sparkle for her daughter while keeping the theme “You Are Loved” in mind. Each ribbon represents someone in her life that loves her. Isn’t this a great way to cherish Valentine’s Day?! You can see the directions on her blog here.
Just-A-Girl has a great tutorial for these outstanding decorated soap dispensers. An exceptional gift for teachers and perfect for combatting those Winter germs.
Tanya - another creative blogger - came up with this Valentine’s Day craft called Kiss Jars. She and her children took old jars, decorated them and filled them with Hershey’s hugs and kisses to give to family and friends. This gift idea makes a great Valentine’s Day activity to do with your kids too.
If you end up making one of these gift ideas, let us know so we can check it out. Happy Gifting!
Written by Cassie of Madison Envy
Dress The Part This Valentine’s Day
January 23, 2009 by Lauren · 10 Comments
To do Valentine’s Day up right, you’ve got to Dress the part! It’s the one day of the year where even the toughest chick can get a little girly with all the fun, flirty fashions.
For your littlest sweeties, the Queen of Hearts stripey bellbottoms by Damestarbaby are guaranteed charmers. (Confession – I’ve had my eye on these pants for almost a year!)
Grown-up gals can send the right Valentine’s message with a “Single” or “Taken” heart hair clip from the Details Shop.
Pair this pretty Peggy Sue handbag with any outfit for a touch of romance (not to mention super-cool style!). Found at Handsfull Creations.
Plus, I’ve got great news for all you preggo mamas – Shabby Apple just came out with a line of maternity dresses to die for! Their Virgin Strawberry Daquiri or Better Than Sweets would be perfect for a romantic Valentine’s night, whether you’re going out or staying in!
And speaking of staying in, next Friday I’ll be taking you course by course through a Valentine’s Day dinner sure to please your entire family (or just that special someone!). Until then, enjoy this loving time of year!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
Crafty Ideas for Valentine’s Day Cards
January 21, 2009 by Cassie · 13 Comments
With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away, cute cards are everywhere! I want to try and make my own Valentine’s Day cards this year, so I have started a file for a collection of my favorites ideas. Many of them are quick, easy and great for an afternoon project.
Kristina Werner has such darling ideas, and I am in love with this adorable button card. You can view her video on how to make it on her blog.
And we couldn’t forget Martha’s cute ideas…this hand stitched card and this quilled card are so pretty and easy to make. Simply follow their step-by-step instructions to make your very own.
Scrapscene displays a card a day, and these cupcake ones would go perfectly with Valentine’s Day cupcakes! Check out the instructions here.
Finally, I can’t get enough of Target’s Dollar Section - they have mini mailboxes right now that would be great for kids’ Valentine’s Day parties. Kasey, on her blog Beautiful Mess, put letters on her mailboxes for each family member and she lists cool ideas for filling the mail boxes too! Do you have Valentine’s Day cards that you like to make with your family?
Written by Cassie of Madison Envy
Valentine’s Day Delights ~ Part One *Decorating*
January 16, 2009 by Lauren · 10 Comments
For me, Valentine’s Day is like a friendly little life-preserver in the middle of the long winter. After the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, I find myself unwilling to let go of that cheerful holiday spirit! The charm of Valentine’s and the idea of dedicating a whole day to expressing love to others keeps my heart warm during these coldest winter months.
Which is why I’d like to focus my next few contributions here at Little Window Shoppe on the 3 D’s of Valentine’s Day Delights – Decorating, Dressing and Dining!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve just finished packing up all the Christmas decor and the house may be looking a little empty. But all the “merry making” usually leaves me a little cash-poor in January so I’ve come up with clever ways to make my Christmas decor do double duty! These fun ideas are easy, inexpensive and will definitely spread some Valentine’s cheer.
Candle Bling
A quick and cute way to dress up some plain candles (maybe leftover from the holidays?) is to press thumbtacks or brads in them! You can go with the basic red dots (less than a buck at Walmart) or hit the craft store and get creative!
The Year-Round Candy Jar
You’d be amazed at how far you can go with a clear jar w/ red lid from the dollar store! All you have to do to change the look is fill it with seasonal candy and hang an ornament from the lid. Come summertime, this same jar will be all decked out for the 4th of July. During Autumn I tie an orange and yellow ribbon around it to bring out the fall colors. At Christmastime it looks quite merry full of holiday treats and “decked” with holly.
Garlands of Hearts
With just some construction paper, scrapbook sheets and ribbon, you can add a sweet Valentine’s touch to any spot in your home. I selected several different kinds of scrap-booking paper which incorporated the colors of my home, and cut out hearts about 8 inches wide, 5 inches high. After gluing them onto white construction paper, I cut about an inch outside of the hearts to create the white border. Then I hot glued them onto red ribbon saved from our holiday gifts! You can hang them separately throughout your home, or glue several onto one ribbon to make a Valentine’s garland just perfect for windows, doorways, fireplaces, etc.
Hope these ideas bring a little extra love into your home! Next Friday I’ll be showing off great picks to help you dress to impress on Valentine’s Day. See you then!
Written by Lauren of Supermom Central
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