Xenotees

CLOSED: Pin to Win!

2012-01-14T18:15:00.009-05:00

Announcing the "PIN to WIN" Giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate, good towards anything & everything in the Xenotees shop!

Here are the rules:
a) Pin any item from my Etsy shop onto Pinterest. Each post = 1 entry.
b) Then copy & paste the link to your Pinterest post as a comment. (A separate comment for each post please!)
c) Post this giveaway on Twitter for 1 additional entry.

Deadline is 10pm EST / January 22nd. The drawing will take place at 11:59pm EST on January 22nd and a winner will randomly be selected from all the entries made, so the more you Pin, the better chance you have to Win! Best of luck to everyone! The winner will be announced on Sunday, January 23rd. If you're interested on following my pins,I'm here.

You Sentimental Idiot: We are gigantic fans of Xenotees. Sharing a few ...

2011-06-30T11:00:00.001-04:00

You Sentimental Idiot: We are gigantic fans of Xenotees. Sharing a few ...: "We are gigantic fans of Xenotees . Sharing a few shots of my daughter modeling her tees. She has practically grown up in them! We are a..."

Xenotees in France!

2011-06-19T02:21:00.001-04:00

France 098, originally uploaded by annienicole.

Courtesy of my lovely sister, Annie! (She is fluent & helped to make sure the French was correct on the Pet Lobster Design!)

First Blueberries

2011-06-15T14:07:00.001-04:00

First Blueberries, originally uploaded by Xenotees™.

I started growing blueberries in 2 containers last year. This year we have actual blueberries & they are delicious. Usually you have to wait a couple of years for any fruit!

Home Heartbreakers

2011-01-23T22:25:00.005-05:00

Some of my favorite ceramic & glass home finds on Etsy. The Postcup™ has been on my list for a while (I'll be getting one soon!), and I just gave my mom that clever, gorgeous glass heart for her birthday. Needless to say, she flipped out over the design, the fact that it came from a Newcastle bottle, and even the packaging!

Listed in a clockwise direction:

Transparent Heart by westernartglass (Love at first sight!)
Porcelain Heart Magnets by NewMoonStudio (Wow!)
Heart Shaped Bowl by ChrissyAnnCermaics (So elegant!)
Postcup™ by BaileyDoesntBark (An instant favorite!)

Little Miss Metal

2011-01-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

Any lady would be lucky to receive these for Valentine's Day. (hint hint, Neil!) I have the lace ring, and it's melded into my hand- when I'm not wearing it I feel out-of-sorts. I can imagine you'd feel the same about these other pieces! (Although you'd have to be a little more careful with the frond ring!) Oh how I'd love to add the other 3 pieces to my collection!

Listed in a clockwise direction:

Infinity Ring by Sudlow (I have been coveting this one for quite a while)
Skeleton Key Bottle Opener by Contrary (form + function, how could you NOT love that?)
Frond Ring by BrillianceFound (incredible + so unique!)
Victorian Lace Ring by theBlackSpotBooks (wearing it right now)

Xenotees is hot on Lookbook!

2010-08-17T14:44:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Eve, who posted a look that is currently trending on Lookbook. She is wearing one of my newest additions to the Xenoshop, a striped French Pet Lobster shirt!

Fresh Mustard Seeds

2010-08-02T13:28:00.001-04:00

Fresh Mustard Seeds, originally uploaded by Xenotees™.

from my garden...

Home grown fatali + jalapeño Peppers in a Wobbly Bowl!

2010-07-23T17:59:00.001-04:00

Home grown fatali + jalapeño Peppers in my Wobbly Bowl!, originally uploaded by Xenotees™.

More Wobbly wares can be found at AtelierBB on Etsy. Love her shop!

20% Off Sale!

2010-07-14T21:03:00.004-04:00

Use Coupon Code: TEETIME in my shop to receive 20% off your entire order!

First Fatali Peppers of the Year

2010-07-11T21:41:00.002-04:00

First Fatalils of the Year, originally uploaded by Xenotees™.

Naming Names: monkeysalwayslook

2010-07-09T09:30:00.004-04:00

With a name like monkeysalwayslook, how could you not be curious? Ever since the time I first discovered Allison's amazing Etsy shop, I wondered what the name was all about. Some weird zoo experience- an excerpt from a novel, or maybe it was a succulent I'd never heard of? What I really like about Allison, besides her body of work, is her teasing, joking sense of humor that she's not afraid to unleash on those she doesn't know that well, (in my experience at least), and it I found it totally refreshing!!

OK, back to the name... I went to the source, of course of course:

Says Allison:

"I really wanted a name that embodied who I was. Which basically is a dorky goofball that loves to joke and tease the ones I love. I thought about a name for a really long time, mostly during work hours when I was working for a really mean horrible boss. I wanted something that was catchy, so people could remember it, and also made people smile. I also wanted to be generic in meaning so that I wasn't stuck with something like Hedge Hats: Pet Hedgehog Clothing and Accessories, since I wanted to expand my business in many different ways. Finally one day, like all brilliant ideas, it totally just popped into my head.

I was about 3 years old when I really remember learning and emulating the best joke ever! It was telling someone to look at something completely preposterous and unbelievable and when they looked over in the direction I was pointing I would scream MONKEYS ALWAYS LOOK!!!!!!!!! Not totally original or ever all that funny, but as a preschooler that was the best I had and I thought was the funniest thing EVER. My poor parents were the target of this joke for years until my sister Meredith (who is 5 years younger) came along. "

How many of us have those made up childhood expressions, those inside jokes, that few are privy too? One of mine is "Joy loves Keith", but that's another story altogether...

Well, in conclusion, I just love that she came up with the name of her creative empire in preschool- don't you?! Thank you Allison for cluing us all in!

More monkeysalwayslook here (or as she says Blah blah blah) :

Etsy
Official Website
Twitter
Blog
Facebook

next up: TBD

Fabulous Bookend Buys

2010-06-01T15:09:00.011-04:00

Bookends - not only an amazing Simon and Garfunkel song, but an essential versatile gift idea! If you haven't picked out a Father's Day gift yet, make sure to keep these in mind! Here are some of m my favorite far-out bookend finds on Etsy:

Vintage Travertine From Death Valley Bookends, Antique Historic Specimen 1949 from VintageZen

Mugshot Bookends made from reclaimed oak by PegandAwl

A Pair of Dollhouse Bookends for 1/12 scale miniatures by BambisMinis

Vintage METAL Numbers from sweetshorn

Bookushions - ceramic bookends by Djenya

Naming Names: Nanouke

2010-05-03T13:51:00.006-04:00

Ana of Nanouke is one of the first people I had the pleasure of meeting on Etsy. When you visit her shop, you'll immediately see how her beautiful & vibrant personality is reflected in her fabulous wire creations. One of the reasons her shop name spoke to me was that I once had a cat named Nunivak, named after an island off the coast of Alaska, so it seemed familiar and wonderful right away. I had to ask her how she decided on the name, Nanouke, especially since she's from Portugal!

From Ana:

"I wanted my shop to be called nanouk, it's the name of an Eskimo in a documentary (although for many years I though it was a polar bear name, so it was a little disappointing to find out that it was a man's name). But it was taken, by a girl that have this name! How cool to be named Nanouk!

Her shop name was bizoontee, so I asked her if she'd mind if I named my shop Nanouke and she was really nice about it, so.. here I am!

I was Boo for some years, but despite it looks really nice with my knitted bags and hats, I thought the knitted wire asked for a more fancy name."

Thank you for sharing the story behind your Etsy shop name Ana!

Mother's Earth Day

2010-04-20T18:06:00.012-04:00

Some picks from a few of my favorite Etsy shops for Mother's Day! Since it comes so closely after Earth Day, I've chosen items that are all recycled into beautiful creations that would also make wonderful gifts for Mom. (The exception being Crafterall's wall topo - she gives all of her paper scraps to Greenpost, so they can be turned into plantable gift tags.)

Elm Leaf and Seeds Sterling Silver Necklace by WesternArtGlass, $72

Topography in Teal No. 5 by Crafterall, $25

Violet Floral Recycled Cedar Record Frame MAGNET BOARD & Magnets by Polarity, $30

Mama and Baby Polar Bears by littleloveblue, $80

Birdhouse Rustic Orange Quirky Vintage Faucet Wren House by baconsquarefarm, $20

GP Plantable Tags DAISY by Greenpost, $7.50

Introducing the Giant Fortune Scarf!

2010-03-19T15:05:00.006-04:00

Remember the poll I had a while back? Where I asked you what fortunes you like the best? Well, here is the result! Giant Fortune (cookie) Scarves with the two fortunes that were most popular.

I have this one and one other in the shop right more, but I will be adding some more in the very near future.

BIG NEWS!

2010-02-23T17:26:00.003-05:00

Official Xenotees shop is open for business!

Naming Names: 3Squares

2010-01-26T14:09:00.005-05:00

When I first discovered Jean's Etsy shop, 3squares, I instantly fell in love with her jewelry and product photography. Sometimes when I come across a shop, I don't always pay close attention to the names of pieces- I take things in more visually. When I realized Jean had pieces called Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster, I had a huge wake-up call. For some reason I had been taking her shop name too literally, think of three actual squares [] [] [] - NOT thinking of 3 square meals! Well, I instantly felt ignorant, but completely awed at the same time. Really, how clever and wonderful is that shop name + shop theme?!

Here is how Jean came about choosing this unique theme:

"I love to cook. I don’t know where that came from – no one in my family spends much time in the kitchen. When I was about 12, I started stealing my sister’s Seventeen magazines and trying the recipes. I still make that Chicken Cacciatore. But I digress…

One of the first pieces of jewelry I created was a square layered mixed-metal pendant with various holes. Swiss Cheese. Then another piece. Poppy Bagel. Yes, I noticed a definite pattern. When it was time to name my business, I wanted it food-related, but not too literal. The idea of three square meals a day came to mind. And since much of my work has a geometric sense to it, the name 3squares just felt right."

Make sure to check out her work! Her shop is better than a big basket of freshly baked biscuits!

Next Up: Nanouke

POLL: Need your input!

2010-01-20T17:19:00.004-05:00

What fortunes do you like the best? (you can choose up to 3)(surveys)

Trying to get back into the swing of things + so I'm working on a new project right now. I'd love to get as many people to help me narrow down these selections, as possible!
Thank you, in advance! :D

Thank you to everyone who commented about Pepito. You are all amazing to have helped me so!

xo,
Noelle

Goodbye Pepito

2010-01-09T16:45:00.002-05:00

Starting the year out with sad news. My good friend Pepito died suddenly on Friday morning. Not that I would ever be prepared for this, but it has left me in a state of shock. There is a hole in my heart, and my household. He was my first adopted son, and Neil and I lived together with him, for 17 amazing years. He loved scrambled eggs and playing with shadows, and always let me know if I was behind schedule on feeding him and his brother, Barnacle. Of course, those are just a few of the special things I can say about him. Oh, Pepito... I miss you so much! I know I will see him again someday, but right now, I'm torn apart.

The Circle: Stollen Memories

2009-12-15T13:51:00.014-05:00

Thank you Roxana, of Illuminated Perfume, for inviting me to part of your Advent blog series, “The Circle"! Here is my contribution--- an essay about food scents.

Stollen Memories

For me, the holidays are all about finishing up my work, shipping out gifts to my family, and finally taking some time to enjoy life a bit more. Work doesn’t generally wind down until the 25th, so even now I am thinking of scents I will be enjoying on Christmas Day.

Most of the time I try to eat really sensibly- avoiding white flour, food coloring, and fatty foods --- but when it comes to a holiday, I put that aside and indulge whole heatedly. This brings me to my two most cherished scents of the season- my mom's Stollen, and cheese fondue. (Not that they are necessarily filled with the things I try to avoid!)

Ever since I can remember, my mother has baked a stollen for Christmas. I actually didn't know it was considered a fruitcake until today (thanks Wikipedia!). That's how amazing it is! She soaks the raisins in rum overnight and makes the recipe from scratch on Christmas Eve, so everyone can eat it first thing, on Christmas morning. A few years ago, my mom sent all the kids (we're talking about approx. 8 stollens here) in the family, one to enjoy. I have to say, it was an incredible surprise, and the best gift in the world. We’ve lived so many miles apart, for so long, I hadn’t enjoyed that smell and taste in many moons. This year, I want to make it myself for the first time.

Here's the recipe with a bonus! The oh-so-delicious Poppy Seed Bread, the Stollen's Christmas Twin in the Ensign house!

Yeast Dough for Christmas Stollen and Poppy Seed Bread
(1/2 recipe for each - makes big bread)

8 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups milk
5 pkgs dry yeast (5 tablespoons)
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter

Dissolve yeast in warms milk or water with 1 tablespoon of sugar - let
bubble so you know it is active. Warm milk and melt butter in it -
add sugar to mixture. Place all wet ingredients either in large bowl
or dough mixer bowl and start adding flour one cup at at time using
whatever it takes to make the dough come into a soft but not wet ball.
Knead 10 minutes by hand or in mixer with hook.
Let rise double (sometimes takes a long time). Punch down and divide.

For stollen knead in 1/2 lb pound of raisins (or currants or golden
raisins) pre-soaked in rum and 1/2 lb of ground or finely chopped
almonds. Form in folded stollen shape. Let rise double again. When
ready to bake beaten egg and cream. Bake at 350 degrees until golden.
Glaze with confectioners sugar and rum from raisins mixed and then
poured over. Decorate with candied fruit, nuts, etc.

Poppy Seed filling

2 cups poppy seeds
3 eggs separated
4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
dash of salt
2 Tablespoons lemon
2 Tablespoons of rum
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup raisins or currants or golden raisins
1 cup of cream of wheat
2 pealed and chopped apples

Heat milk, add cream of wheat, add sugar, add butter, add apples and
lemon juice, vanilla, rum add poppy seeds and raisins, and beaten egg
yolks - cook. Let cool and fold in beaten egg whites and salt. Fill
dough (enough filling for two cakes).

Poppy Seed Cake

Roll out dough in large rectangle fairly thin - spread filling on
dough and fold both long sides to the center. Place the center seam
side down on the pan. Let rise double and bake at 350 degrees until
golden.

I love what my mom just told me about these recipes when she sent them to me:
" I was taught this recipe by my dear German friend 40
years ago in her magical warm and loving kitchen. She just had me
write down the recipe and instructions following what she was doing
and that is what I have done ever since. So it was really stollen and
poppy seed cake by apprenticeship. It is flexible because it is so
old world."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As far as the fondue goes, the mouth-watering scent of freshly cut bread, Gruyère, Emmentaler and garlic also harkens back to my childhood. I was lucky enough to have a mom devoted to Gourmet Magazine, so we got to eat a lot of what most people consider “exotic dishes”. Well, none of my friends even knew what fondue was, from what I can remember, anyway! So every year, my husband and I sit down for a serious fondue session, until we’re stuffed. Aaa, I can’t wait!

Win a Xenotees Scarf @ Design Crush!

2009-12-14T23:22:00.005-05:00

Enter to win a Xenotees' French Pet Lobster scarf at the fabulous Design Crush blog, by December 18th!

Naming Names: calloohcallay

2009-12-09T12:37:00.007-05:00

This installment brings us Susan, of the fabulous shop calloohcallay, which is filled to the brim with vintage goodies. I knew there was something familiar about her wonderfully sing-songy shop name + when I asked her, I found out why! As a kid my dad had us memorize as much of the Jabberwocky as possible. Totally one of my fondest childhood memories! It didn't surprise me at all that she would have chosen such a unique name- I've long admired her shop + Treasury making skills!

JABBERWOCKY

Lewis Carroll

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

Next up: 3Squares

Photos by the Birthday Girl

2009-12-05T12:27:00.004-05:00

For my birthday, my friend John lent me his favorite camera to take photos of our excursion to Eastern State Penitentiary... Maybe that seems like a strange place to visit on your birthday, but that's the kind of gal I am. I just really wish I'd caught some apparitions with the camera! In a few of the photos, you'll see the incredible ghost cats, created by artist Linda Brenner...

Naming Names: Zwzzy

2009-11-20T13:13:00.005-05:00

It's Jen from Zwzzy! Jen runs an incredible vintage shop on Etsy + does most of the modeling herself. After getting to know her a bit more, I think the name suits her personality, flair for style + charm, all the more! It's fun, sort of quirky and totally memorable!

Here's how she came about name her shop:

"Oh sure, I'd be into explaining my name! :D It's actually quite silly. My dad is a designer engineer (Silicon Valley, woot!) so I got to have my first AOL account when I was like 10. I actually had Prodigy before that too. Anyway, I was trying to think of a good screen name, and everything with gymnast or dancer was taken (my big passions/hobbies at the time). So just for the hell of it, my dad typed in Zwzzy, and I was born! When I started selling online I wanted something that was quirky, made no sense, and would stand out. It works! Although people always want to stick an "I" in there. ;) Oh, and it's pronounced ZW-IZZ-EE!"

That's ZW-IZZ-EE everyone! She's a fascinating person+ we share the same intense love for cats! You can read more about her on this blog!

Next Up: calloohcallay !

Naming Names: Ottoman

2009-10-19T12:45:00.006-04:00

Ottoman quickly became one of my first Etsy crushes, when I came across her work in early 2008. Her creations are magical, whimsical and her love of nature is clearly apparent (make sure to take a stroll through her shop). Therefore, I had to ask- why the name "Ottoman"?

Here's what Summer said:

"It's not in my profile (and I've often wondered if it's a good name for a shop...what do you think?), but (and I only give partial disclosure - he he) I HATE recliners (ha), I wanted a name that's easy to remember and spell and I have an art degree, and with a history of women artists signing men's names, I like that it's androgynous. :) "

For even more insight into Ottoman, she explains how the Moss Collection first began:

"what inspired the Moss Collection (and therefore the shop) was the Moss Ottoman Slipcover that is not longer available in the shop...that also helped seal the deal with the shop name! http://ottoman.typepad.com/ottoman/2008/11/i-decided-to-keep-it-for-myself.html?cid=138343656
"

Next Up: Zwzzy!

(photo: by Summer, of her Moss ring)

Naming Names: Fricdementol

2009-10-01T09:00:00.004-04:00

Another of my favorite Etsy artists reveals the story behind her name! An amazing Portuguese artist named Ana, who runs the shop called fricdementol!

"Fric de Mentol evolved as a nickname on a forum, after that i started my artistic productions and i opened a flickr account using the same nickname. When i realize that people liked my work was late to change the name or to pick one better. Now i think it's perfect!

I like to play with words, like in some of my works in which i try to give them some graphic meaning, not just 'word meaning'. So fric in Portuguese doesn't have any meaning, in French it's money (i discover it some days ago) but for you sounds like 'freak' eheheheh. I consider it like a drop or confetti. Mentol is menthol :)) because it's fresh..."

The second I saw her gorgeous artwork, I had to find out what "fricdementol" meant. It's a pretty magical made up word, if you ask me!

(photo is a close-up of the embroidered mixed media piece, "Ugly Face VII")

Next Week: Ottoman

Naming Names: Chakra Pennywhistle

2009-09-24T01:48:00.005-04:00

This is a new series where each week, the truth behind shop names on Etsy will be revealed!

First up, Rikkianne from Chakra Pennywhistle explains about how she decided on her shop name!

“My husband and I met and and married in NYC. We both went to school there. Me for dramatic arts and Dave for film. Dave actually made a couple of independent films that have never quite made it to the editing stage:) Chakra Pennywhistle was a character that I played in one of those films. We both developed the character. I based her off of Patsy on the British television show, Absolutely Fabulous.”

I think the name she chose is intriguing & flows so beautifully- just perfect for her creations!

You can visit her Etsy shop here: chakrapennywhistle.etsy.com

Next Week: Fricdementol

Snakeskin Paper on Etsy

2009-09-20T22:11:00.003-04:00

One of the things about being such a fanatical Treasury maker, is discovering the most fantastic treasures, from around the world! Today I found this handmade paper made by a woman from Athens, Georgia who has a shop on Etsy, called Pica Pica Press. I am smitten! She uses real skin shed by snakes & incorporates them into her paper. The organic forms that follow are remarkable!

last year...

2009-09-19T02:21:00.003-04:00

Just comforting to know they can grow this well, after this year's sorrowful bounty!

3-D Glasses Dress on Etsy

2009-09-17T02:55:00.004-04:00

by Nicole Lindner - here's her Etsy shop.

VOTE for Nathalie!

2009-09-15T19:58:00.004-04:00

The race is SO close, I had to blog about it in hopes of keeping Nathalie at #1! Please click on the image or on this link http://www.crocs.eu/crocsfan/picture1249998235/ & vote for her! You don't have to register, just click the "vote" button!

Thank you!

Labor Day Sale!

2009-09-04T15:03:00.008-04:00

LABOR DAY SALE! --► 15% off* everything in the shop!

From Sept. 3rd through Sept. 7th - take 15% off* everything in the shop!
You must mention the coupon CODE -[ WEEKEND DEALS ]- when you checkout, in the "message to seller" box. You can also convo me the code, if you forget to mention it when you checkout!

When you use the coupon code, I will issue you a refund, a revised invoice, or set up a 'reserved listing', depending on your preference. Just let me know!

*Sale applicable to any non-sale items -- cannot be combined with any other offers...

50% OFF SALE at Bailey Doesn't Bark!

2009-08-12T12:04:00.004-04:00

Wow! 50% off everything in the Bailey Doesn't Bark shop until it's gone, up until August 28th! Make sure to use coupon code BDB50OFF (to be entered at checkout)

* Discount coupon 1 use per customer.

** All orders placed on 8/12 - 8/28 will be shipped on or after 8/29. Regular shipping schedule will resume on 8/29.

Xenotees Website Launched!

2009-08-04T18:15:00.004-04:00

It's a pretty bare bones site as I have yet to add the e-commerce, but I'm happy to have accomplished it nonetheless! Hopefully everyone will join my mailing list!

My Top 5 Books for Natural Kitty Cures

2009-07-07T20:40:00.005-04:00

Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs: Small Doses for Small Animals by Don Hamilton

The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat by Martin Goldstein D.V.M.

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn D.V.M. & Susan Hubble Pitcairn

Whole Health for Happy Cats: A Guide to Keeping Your Cat Naturally Healthy, Happy, and Well-Fed (The book I use for my Raw Cat Food Recipe.) by Sandy Arora

The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care by Anitra Frazier

NEWtral @ Xenotees

2009-07-04T14:48:00.006-04:00

a. French Pet Lobster Tote Bag
b. Too Much Party on a heather gray summer style shirt (also in kelly green)
c. Too Much Party on a slate mens t-shirt (also in cranberry & asphalt)
d. Animal Wheel Tote Bag (lots of new ones added!)

From my garden

2009-07-01T12:47:00.001-04:00

Chocolate Mousse on a stick?!

2009-06-27T19:04:00.006-04:00

Yes, but how?

All you need is a hot fire & these incredibly gourmet, tasty marshmallows by Whimsy & Spice (available on Etsy), and some sticks of course! Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

The Strangely Exotic Mind of Xenotees

2009-06-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

I was blown away by this detailed, insightful review of my t-shirts! Thank you so much Buy-tees.net!

Xenotees Review by Live Our Art

2009-06-16T21:15:00.004-04:00

A lovely review of Xenotees by a customer of mine: Live Our Art She also has an Etsy shop! Thank you Tania, for your support & wonderful article about my tees!

Etsy Item of the Day Blog

2009-06-15T13:41:00.005-04:00

Check it out, my Pet Lobster Tee Design has been chosen as "Etsy Item of the Day" for a Father's Day gift! This is a fabulous blog full of an incredible mix of Etsy finds. I encourage you visit her blog & follow her on Twitter to keep track of all of her picks! Thank you Jackie!

Soundtracks in our Lives

2009-05-03T23:39:00.007-04:00

I'm constantly listening to all sorts of different kinds of music, but lately I've been thinking about how much I love soundtracks. Here are a few of my favorites- in no particular order... What are yours?

Repo Man
The Big Lebowski
The Hunger
Xanadu (Should I be embarrassed? Hmm...)
Breaking Glass* - really mostly for the song "Will you?" & the memories of Night Flight

I know there are more- but these popped in to my head 1st!
*a soundtrack produced by Dodi Fayed - weird right?

Winner Announced for the Polarity / Kendra Zvonik Recycled Locket!

2009-05-03T23:02:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay in doing the drawing! The 90 degree heat last week & general life-stuff fried my brain!

The winner is: sweetnessjewelry! Yay! Congratulations!

Winner of the Bailey Doesn't Bark Giveaway!

2009-04-20T22:23:00.004-04:00

And the winner is.... Drum roll please......... It's Sydney! Yay! Congratulations on winning two porcelain spoons from the Bailey Doesn't Bark "Ants" collection!

Thanks, so much, to everyone who participated! I loved reading all your comments!

CLOSED: Win a Polarity / Kendra Zvonik Recycled Locket!

2009-04-20T12:49:00.016-04:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm so excited to be hosting this giveaway in honor of Earth Day! Recently, Cat of Polarity (& Uncorked) launched an Etsy artists series to adorn her clever lockets. I think they are all an incredible marriage of artist & designer- such a brilliant idea- I'm not surprised they are doing really well!

This Giveaway is for a Polarity, recycled locket with paintings by the wonderfully talented artist Kendra Zvonik! From the description (Cat said it best!): "Kendra is an incredibly bold and stunning Florida artist who has recently created a new series of original works in her affordable abstract art gallery expressly for Etsy." I really admire Cat & Kendra both, so I'm particularly fond of this collaboration!

1 Entry - Make a comment letting me know that you have visited- Polarity & Kendra Zvonick on Etsy!

You have more chances to win if you do the following:

3 additional Entries = for following Kendra's Blog
3 additional Entires = for following the Polarity/Uncorked Blog
3 additional Entries = if you Tweet this Giveaway!

Just make sure to mention that you've done any or all of these things & you can have upt to 10 total entries to win! Please make sure to include your contact information too!

Happy Earth Day & Good Luck everyone! This Giveaway ends on April 23rd at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be announced by Sunday, April 26th.

(Note: You don't have to tell me "3 separate times" that you've done any of these things to get your 3 entries.)

Win a Pullover on Design for Mankind!

2009-04-14T15:03:00.007-04:00

Design for Mankind is hosting a giveaway for one of my pullovers! Visit the wonderful DFM blog to enter! Big thanks to them for inviting me to participate!

Also, make sure you read Erin Loechner's "about" page. She is such an incredible lady- I totally love her sense of humor & philosophy!

CLOSED: Bailey Doesn't Bark Giveaway!

2009-04-13T20:32:00.019-04:00

This Giveaway is being held in order to celebrate the launch of Re Jin Lee's new website BaileyDoesntBark.com & I'm excited to announce that RJ is offering 2 of her "Ants On My Spoon"s to a randomly chosen winner!

It wasn't long after I set up shop that I met Re Jin Lee on Etsy. I feel so lucky to have her as a friend & a creative inspiration! I could go on & on about her work, but it's better to let it speak for itself! Please check out her beautiful new website, baileydoesntbark.com, & her shop on Etsy baileydoesntbark.etsy.com!

Since we are celebrating her new venture, here are the rules for winning your very own BDB spoons:

1 Entry - Browse through the NEW Bailey Doesn't Bark shop & share your comments about your favorite piece or collection.

Wait, you have more chances to win if you do the following! (Make sure to post to let me know you have done these extra things for more entries!)

3 additional Entries - for following the Bailey Doesn't Bark blog
3 additional Entires - if you Tweet this Giveaway!
3 additional Entries - for joining her mailing list!

Therefore you can have a total of 10 Entries! The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on Thursday April 16th. The winner will chosen out of a hat, & announced on Friday!

Thank you for participating- & joining in the celebration! Good Luck to you all & make sure to leave your contact info in your post(s)!

4/17/09 UPDATE: Slight delay in announcing the winner! I've been moving into a new workspace & it's taken more time than I had anticipated. I'm hoping to announce the winner by Sunday afternoon at the latest. Sorry to keep you all in suspense! :D

Can I count on your Vote?

2009-03-30T12:40:00.005-04:00

Wow, what a different Monday than last week! Today I woke up to find myself in so many "knock-me-off-feet" Treasuries AND I am also in amongst the finalists in Etsy's "Down Under Fall Fashion" contest! Woohoo! I will be in a different spot each time, but here's what my Xenotee, modeled by my lovely friend RJ, looks like (above)...

So, it's super easy to vote & you know how much I would appreciate it if you chose me!
You can vote here: http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=39

Quick Meal on the Go

2009-03-27T13:26:00.005-04:00

I am always looking for healthy food that is low in sodium, yet quick and easy to prepare. This is a combination I thought was really tasty. Just make sure you split this with someone else, or just use 1/2 the package of lentils.

Tasty Bite Madras Lentils
Broccoli - frozen is just as healthy as fresh these days
Served over whole grain couscous by Near East

And the winner of the Lillyella Jewerly Giveaway is...

2009-03-14T16:17:00.005-04:00

I decided to do the drawing & announcement a day early!

Congratulations to Jenn Reese for winning a piece from Lillyella's Etsy shop!

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered & left such beautiful comments. You all gave me quite the workout & I might be suffering a bit of carpal tunnel syndrome after cutting out all those little pieces of paper! There were 357 entries- including the extra credit ones for blogging, following & Tweeting! *Whew*

Nicole is offering 10% off all orders through Monday, March 16 at Midnight (PST) Make sure to mention "Xenotees" in the message to seller box at checkout. Discount will be refunded or specify if you would like a revised invoice before paying.

Lillyella Jewelry Giveaway is CLOSED - Winner will be announced on Sunday March 15th!

2009-03-09T00:55:00.008-04:00

Lillyella
Jewelry inspired by nature and a touch of the past

Nicole of Lillyella is one of my favorite Etsy crafters & a wonderful friend too. She inspires me daily with her wit & creativity. If you keep tabs on her shop, you will be shocked at how quickly she adds new jewelry! Her work ethic & philosophy are highly admirable- we could all learn more than a few things from this talented lady. I will tell you that my Silver Leaf Garland bracelet is my most cherished piece from her shop!

I am so excited she has agreed to be my 1st victim! In order to win you need to go through her shop (don't forget to check out "sold" items!) & pick out your favorite piece. Please post a comment about what you've chosen & be sure to include your contact information.

This Giveaway is for any item in her shop (excluding any 'one of a kind' pieces).

To gain additional entries, you can do the following, & post to let me know:

(3 extra) Twitter this Giveaway!
(3 extra) Blog about the contest!
(3 extra) Follow my new blog!

All entries must be received by March 12th at Midnight EST. Thanks for entering & Good Luck!

My new favorite snack

2009-03-05T01:54:00.015-05:00

These wasabi cashews are it. Just it. But they are $$, so you can't eat too many, too often!

St. Patrick's Day Picks found on Etsy

2009-03-03T15:26:00.015-05:00

GetReadySetGo - Upcycled Train Case in Avocado
jennyleefowler - Custom Silhouette
uncorked - I Feel Lucky sustainable cork necklace
elephantandchickpea - Avocado Mary Janes
thebline - Julia Bracelet
Gollybard - Jar of Luck painting

Treasury Hiatus

2009-03-03T14:41:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm taking a bit of a break from making Treasuries, but I'll be back. Luckily my last one (for a while) made the *very hard to get now* Front Page! On the right you will find my 1st Treasury to hit the FP ---almost a year ago exactly!

Xenotees Giveaway at the Olive Bites Blog by Uncorked/Polarity

2009-03-02T11:00:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Cat of Uncorked & Polarity of Etsy for offering to host a t-shirt Giveaway!

Win your favorite Xenotee, under $22 here:
http://olivebites.blogspot.com/

A Tribute to the Jeep

2009-02-28T12:50:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had to adopt out our kitty Angus the Jeep because our cat Barnacle (to whom we are utterly devoted), wanted to kill him. Understandably so, as the Jeep is basically an oversized kitten that acts more like a dog than a cat, and Barnacle is pushing 15.

He looks just like Eugene the Jeep from the old Popeye comics & cartoons.

This of course happened about a year after everyone was getting along reasonably well, so we we got really attached to the big guy.

Luckily he is in the best place he could possibly be now- with our friends in Richmond, VA! Yay! We miss you Jeep!

Cool find!

2009-02-27T13:41:00.002-05:00

The Hamburger Dress

I have been considering starting a blog for a while now. I think it would be wiser to spend time posting cool finds here, rather than making so many Treasuries on Etsy.

Here is my first cool find- more to follow!

This dress was made by Joy Kambria O'Shell. You can find more of her fantastic creations here.

It turns out, Joy also has an Etsy shop! Here you can find her incredible crocheted faux food creations. I have a thing for faux food...