Fall into Autumn Giveaway!

Dear Scrappy Friends,

I know it's been quiet around here lately but I'm back with a fabulous
Fall into Autumn GIVEAWAY!

To win this lovely (handmade of course) hanging acrylic photo frame, simply visit my Facebook page here and leave a comment telling me what your favorite thing about fall is. Comments will close tomorrow night, 2 Nov. at 11 pm eastern standard time and the winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

I know the kids and I enjoy going to the PuMpKin PaTcH and getting the house all dolled up,

SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?

EtsyMom Monday Cupcake Freak

Yeah!!! It's EtsyMom Monday!

I dedicate each Monday to all the fabulous EtsyMom creations I've found during the week so I can show off their often one-of-a-kind, beautiful and eco-friendly work and give you great gift ideas.

If you didn't already know it, I am a total Cupcake FREAK!!! For special occasions, I do cupcakes, not cake. Unless of course it's for hubby. I love lemon, chocolate, strawberry...

So this week's feature is, yes, you guessed it!

This Pretty at the Party Blank Notecard from HappyDayStudios makes me want a cupcake right now!

iecreations can dress up any cupcakewith these beautiful
Butterfly Bloomers Holders.

And Kute Klipboards by Amy always has a sweet clipboard to suit any occasion and her Cupcake Vintage Inspired Clipboard is no exception!

This Cutesy Cupcake Clip by Lexi Lou Design U Love
is such a sweet and creative use of ribbon!

Which cupcake is your fave???

For Dad with Love from the NCTriangle Team

Today is a special Father's Day feature
with great ideas if you're still looking for a one-of-a-kind handcrafted gift
for that special father in your life.

The talented Etsians residing in and around the NC Triangle area have just what you need:

What could be better for the golfer in your life than
these Golf Ball Soaps by KarensSoaps ?

Made with a gentle natural soap base, they are so realistic-looking it's hard to believe they're soap!

For the die-hard Blue Devil fans in your life,

this set of

4 Krzyzewskiville Cards from OrangeCatArt is perfect!

Oh my goodness, FancythatCookies has

tasty treats for your sweets!

These dark chocolate brownies, are filled with creamy chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts in each bite.

I love a chunky bracelet on my hubby and this Chainmaille Bracelet in Stainless Steel for Him from NewByzantiumDesigns is no exception!

This Byzantine Weave piece is fashioned out of heavy gauge, stainless steel,
square wire jump rings.


Shopping for a antique car aficionado? Then you'll love this

Vintage Car - 8x10 Original Fine Art Metallic Print Chevy Bel Air

from HopePhotoArt.
Happy Shopping!

EtsyMom Monday ~ For Dad with Love

Yeah!!! EtsyMom Mondays are back in full effect!

I dedicate each Monday to all the fabulous EtsyMom creations I've found during the week so I can show off their often one-of-a-kind, beautiful and eco-friendly work!

If you're still looking that Perfect Gift for that special father in your life,

the talented etsians who are also dedicated mommies have just what you need (Be sure to check ordering deadlines to ensure timely delivery):

With Father's Day right around the corner, this
Patchouli Natural Perfume by AquarianBath is perfect for your scent-wearing man! Don't the ingredients like high-quality, aged Patchouli essential oil and golden joboba oil, lightly tinted with cocoa powder sound divine?

Give a gift with a personalized touch; I love the manly look of this
Custom handstamped keychain by sugarsalt!

This Black Amber Musk Handmade Soap from peapodcrafts is a warm blend of black amber, clove and nutmeg, it's perfect for men and women alike, so if hubby doesn't like it then you can use it!

meandmatilda will have your man styling at the next formal affair with her Black Freestyle Bowtie in black Dupioni Silk.

EtsyMom Monday ~ Hippity Hop

EtsyMoms are an incredible group of talented artisans with a wide range of wonderful handmade shops on etsy.com.

I'm blessed to be a part of this group of working moms because they inspire, move and challenge me to live, laugh love and create!

I dedicate each Monday to all the fabulous EtsyMom creations I've found during the week so I can show off their often one-of-a-kind, beautiful and eco-friendly work!

Easter's on the way and EtsyMoms are ready to dress your little ones from head-toe!

Won't baby girl look smart in this colorful bunny dress by Littlelilly? Love the contrasting fabric of the belt and the trim on the sleeves!

Cuteandfun has something special for the chicken lovers with this
sterling silver chunky charm bracelet!

Just look at these delicate pair of beautiful buttercup yellow Mary Janes by Weepereas! And did I mention that they have organic cotton soles?

Wouldn't this sweet sterling silver stamped necklace by bellabuttondesigns be perfect for your sweetie's Easter basket?

And Zuzugirl always has the sweetest accessories in her shop! Top off your little one's Sunday best with this fabric flower headband. She used fabric remnants to create the petite blooms!

NCTriangle Thursday ~ Shower Them with Love

I've dedicated the past few weeks on the blog to throwing the ultimate handmade babyshower, from decorations to gifts and favors.

On Monday we sent the babyshower guests home with lovely favors so we're done right? Not just yet; how about a little something for those close friends that put together the fabulous shower???

I found some stylish but practical and some delectable hostess gifts on Etsy created by that talented crew out of the Triangle area in North Carolina.

What a brilliant idea knotworkshop had with this Crochet Cozy for Coffee or Tea. No more worries about your hot beverage going cold!

I know this blueberry chocolate mini leather journal from paperpearlsboutique would make a lovely gift because I gave one to myself last year! Aside from the soft, supple leather, the best feature is that it's refillable!



and I couldn't help but include this ipod cozy (to protect what is surely a highly prized possession!) also from knotworkshop, available in several styles/colors.

If any of your friends fancies moist, melt-in your mouth morsels, I'm sure they'd be tickled pink by a half-dozen of these Walnut Chocolate Chip Brownies from FancyThatCookies.

EtsyMom Monday ~ Show Some Love

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As part of my Handmade Baby Shower Series, I've highlighted some of my favorite EtsyMom gift ideas for baby as well as
expectant parents.

This week I found some wonderful ways to thank the shower guests for participating!

Moddiapercakes has a cute twist on the diaper cake idea with
these chocolate and blue "cupcakes".

If you're just looking for packaging, try ShabbyNChic's assortment of
handmade patterned paper boxes to hold your treats!

Your guests are sure to "oooh" and "ahhh" over these
gorgeous glass tile pendants by laktjohnson. She has several styles to choose from and
offers a "buy 3, get one free" special on some.

Or give your guests one of these
jumbo clips by kuteklipboardsbyamy to hold baby's photo!

And sweetdreamsboutique has something special for the sweet tooth! Send guests off with some of these gourmet cookie bites available in flavors like Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon and many more!

NCTriangle Thursday ~ A Day Late!

I don't know about you but sometimes when I attend a babyshower I take a gift just for the mommy-to-be! Shouldn't she be rewarded for taking that joyous, although at times, strenuous, journey towards motherhood? The NCTriangle Team offers some items intended to spoil, scrub and soothe the expectant mama!


Ahh, this lovely locket ring from goodgirlsstudio

is perfect for a tiny picture of the tiny newborn!

Aren't these festive facial scrubbies fun? Knotworkshop gives you many reasons for these to be a hit with a new mom, aside from having a fresh one for each day of the week, they are also good for the environment and the wallet!

Felt-wrapped soap? After reading what Jazzturtle has to say about her luxurious Lemon Mint Soap, the idea sounds divine! The felted "sweater" essentially replaces the washcloth!

When I was pregnant I didn't always have time for the mani/pedi, so this Cotton Candy Confections Sugar Scrub by ajoeynamedroo would have been simply wonderful!

And we can't leave the daddy-to-be out of the picture, so how about this Beer Shampoo Bar by CCrafters?! Perfect for keeping in a gym or travel bag of the on-the-go guy.

Handmade Baby Shower Part 3: Banner and Favor Tins

Did I mention I will be FLYING in for this shower???

So, yes, that means I've had to finish up certain items
like the banner and the jelly-bean filled favor tins

and ship them to Maryland!

Remember the banner in it's early stages here? Its almost ready to go in this pic...made a few more changes that you'll see when I get back!

I created a template (mine are 6 inch base, 9 inches in length) for the colored triangles and mounted them on a slightly larger white triangle.

After decorating the pennants, I punched holes on either side

at the top (about 3/4 inch in).

You can then ink the edges or add trim.

Lastly, string your ribbon or twine through the holes for an adjustable banner.

Found the palm trees and the whimsical wooden lion (already painted)

at Michael's! Perfect for the King of the Jungle theme!

And don't let me forget, the guest count for this co-ed shower is now at 100! Needless to say, ordering favors can get pricey, so I went with a fairly inexpensive option.

I already had some of these 2 oz. metal tins with clear lids in my stash, so I just ordered more.

I bought coordinating ribbon, ran strips through my Xyron >

The ribbon-wrapped tins would work well, but to give them a personal touch, I added punched circles in coordinating colors and stamped them with a lion (to match the theme of course), added thank you and adhered them to the lids!

They will add nice splashes of color to the treat table!

Etsymom Monday ~ Name that Baby!

ONE more week until the big baby shower I'm co-planning!

For my three-week Handmade Baby Shower Series,

I'm sharing not only what I'm creating for the event

but also the best baby boy accessories

Etsymoms are offering this spring.

What a special touch personalization can add!

This week's finds can all be designed with your child's name in mind.



These wonderful wooden letters just speak to me!

KissMeKatie will handpaint these custom 8-inch letters

to adorn your child's walls.

Letters grow with child and can help with name recognition as they mature!

Let sobrightdesigns create a matching monogram pillow for the

little man's room decor from one of several designer fabrics.

These 8 Letter Iron-On Decals from alphabulous

can be used in a variety of ways to personalize

baby boy's room! Need help getting started?

Search 'alphabulous' on photobucket for project ideas.

The briliant blue buttons really pop against the chocolate fabric

on this personalized pillow by letterperfectdesigns.

Hang girlfriendstx's wall hooks at just the right height and as

baby gets older he can hang up his own jackets!

Handmade Baby Shower Part 2: Pennant Banner

You know what I absolutely love about handmade? You can customize whatever you make to match any theme/colors etc.,

so when the more than eager mommy-to-be picked out her own invitations here, it was no problem to create decorations to match perfectly.

Here is a work-in-progress pic of the

"It's a Boy" pennant banner. My girl likes things with a modern flair, so I have to try and keep it simple and fresh!

I didn't feel like going out to look for polka dot paper,

so I made my own for the accordion fold flowers.

I punched 1-inch circles from different colored cardstock and adhered them to the white cardstock. To make the flowers, I followed the tutorial here.

Next, I think I'll be adding some animal friends to the solid pennants...will post more pics soon!

EtsyMom Monday ~ Handmade for Baby

In keeping with the handmade babyshower theme, I searched Etsy to find out what my EtsyMoms have handcrafted to shower baby with love. These baby-boy inspired gifts take you from play, to meal, to bath and sleeptime:


You know I'm a sucker for a good hat...isn't zbelle's crocheted newsboy hat the cutest?

Won't baby be stylin at snacktime with this "Spa Lolli Polka Dot" bib by paisleybaby???

NewEnglandGifts created the perfect hooded towel for snuggling baby after bathtime!

Have this noahbabyboutique's cozy mini blanket ready to swaddle...love the yummy chocolate and blue colors!