Hooked Up Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to all who entered the Hooked Up Giveaway! 

The winner was chosen using random dot org.

The winning comment is #22 - Kristen! 

[Kristen said... I have hearted Hook Up's Etsy Shop]

Congratulations! 

Look out for an email from me (totshop728 at yahoo dot com)! 

Want a chance at winning another item? 
Here's another Giveaway to enter!

A Fun Frozen Snack

Since bug has been teething for what seems like forever, she really enjoys frozen snacks. Here is one that can involve the kiddos in the making process!

Ingreadients:
Bananas
Yogurt (flavored if you'd like)
Cheerios or any similar cereal

Here's what you do: (You can either cut the banana in half for this to make a Popsicle for older kids but for Bug I cut up the banana into bite size pieces.)

Put the Cheerios into a Ziploc baggie and give your little one a wooden spoon, or a toy hammer works great if you have one, and let them bang away until the Cheerios are crumbs!You can also have them crush them with their hands. Whatever works for you!

Take your banana pieces and dip them in the yogurt, then roll them around in the Cheerio crumbs. (Just like breading chicken!)

Pop them in the freezer on a tray and once they are frozen you can put them all in a freezer bag. My advice would be to take them out of the freezer for about 5 minutes before serving these to your baby or toddler.

Find this recipe and more here.

A look into the Etsy shop SENNURSASA

Lets take a look into the wonderful shop of SENNURSASA!

What made you want to become an artist?
I don’t think I “became” an artist. I have always been creative with the help of my hands, my eyes and my mind.

What is your favorite item to create?
I love making cardigans for babies.

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy?

Keep creating and make what excites you and inspires you. Most of all keep listing.

How do you promote your work?

I mainly promote my work on Etsy through relisting my pieces a few times a day. I also use social media marketing instruments such as Facebook. My twin has a Facebook page which has 9000 fans. She helps me for my promotion.

Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook, twitter)?

You can find me at:

www.facebook.com/sennursasa

Please add me as your friend.

What is the inspiration for your work?

The babies and the kids are my inspiration.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?
No, I don’t have a job outside of my shop.

Where do you create?

I create at my home.

What are your goals for your shop?
One of my goals for the shop is to keep expanding and growing. I have a multitude of ideas for new projects. I am currently working on them. The people who follow me on Etsy or Facebook will see them soon.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I like custom orders. I encourage buyers to not shy away from special requests. I love to create new things.

Here are some of my faves from this shop:



Hand Crochet Little Girl



Crochet Lovely Buny with a Nice Heart.

You can see these items and more here!

Thank you for letting us into your shop and telling us a little about you!

Hot Pink Zebra Print & a Cricut Machine =

I got this awesome hot pink zebra print fabric (knowing my Cricut was coming soon) and was so excited to finally get to use it on a couple of onesies! Here is what I created! Let me know what you think! Soon I will have some awesome additions to my shop!

Don't mind the bad pics. I took them with my phone. 

My camera was in the bedroom where Bug was sleeping and there was no way I was going in there!

Bug & Maddy's Onesie

Bug's Onesie

Maddy's Onesie

Getting Stir Crazy?

I don't know about any of you but it has been a snowy cold winter so far here in NY and we are stuck inside for the most part. Bug hates the snow so we can't even enjoy any more than 10 minutes out playing in the snow!

If you are starting to get restless being in the house all day check into your local library. Most libraries offer classes for infants through adults and best of all it is free! It's a great chance to get out of the house and get some social interaction for you and your little one! 

Bug playing at a library class last summer!

I'd love to know what you do to keep from getting stir crazy in the cold months! Please share below!

My New Treasury

A very close friend of mine just had her baby boy yesterday!

The colors of his nursery are blue and gray and they are lovely!

Clicks and comments welcome!

'Welcome Little One' by crocheting4baby

A new baby boy came into this world yesterday! Here's to him!

Crochet Sock Monkey ea... ButterflyBouti... $20.00	Dark Gray and Blue Baby... craftsbymanuel... $20.00	Blue and Gray Argyle Ar... BriarandPatch $9.00
AMY BUTLER LOTUS ..BLUE... Purselady $39.95	Kenton Birth Announceme... GrahamCrackerD... $8.00	Alphabet Poster in Blue... HelenRawlinson $21.00
Blue and Gray Minky Dot... MEGbabyboutiqu... $36.00	Tiny The Blue and Gray ... Sherid94 $15.00	Car Toy Organizer - Gra... LittleSproutBa... $35.00
Organic Airplane Appliq... StorkandMe $16.00	Corduroy Plush Elephant NatesMommyMade... $19.95	Blue Skies With A Chanc... simplybasicdes... $26.00
New Bicycles Chenille B... mountainavenba... $9.50	Blues and Greys - Appli... SeamsSewSweet $12.00	Sock Owl Mobile - Blue ... snickercreatio... $85.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

I just ordered a Cricut!

I am so excited about this Cricut machine! I have been on YouTube all weekend looking at all the things you can do with it! I originally started looking into buying this machine to cut stencils for clothing but there is so much more to do with it! It cuts pretty much any material! Hopefully I will be experimenting with
fabric and appliqueing! 

This should be fun! 

Fingerpainting with a twist!

Here's a little finger painting project that will be a different sensory feeling for your little one 

(big kids will like this too). 

Mix some baby lotion with a little bit of finger paint (or washable paint) to give it some color and let your child paint with the mixture. Bug loved the smooth feeling of the lotion paint so much that when her paper was covered she did not want to stop. I cleaned her up and sat her back in her high chair and gave her some plain lotion to swirl around on her tray which made her happy! Be sure to supervise to prevent your little one from putting this in their mouth. Just in case I always be sure to use non-toxic paint and art supplies.

Here is the finished product...

Bug's Lotion Art

Children explore the world around them through their senses & it is important to 

introduce them to different sensory activities. Here's why.

An interview with Saffery Moore and Giveaway!

Lets take a look into the shop owner of Saffery Moore...

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a (mostly) stay at home mom to three young boys and wife to a wonderful man. My husband is a pastor, so I also get classified as a "pastor's wife" - although I am also trained to be a pastor (just not serving as one at the moment)! I am a Canadian living in a small town in Iowa where we have been for almost seven years now. I love to sew, scrap, and read - which are all perfect for this creative introvert!

What made you want to become an artist?
I've loved making things for as long as I can remember and have so much fun creating and seeing what happens. It gives me an opportunity to experiment and have fun. I opened my store because friends were telling me that the things I make are sellable - and I wanted to see if it was true!

What is your favorite item to create?
When I look at the items in my store, I think that I like to make the little tool belts the most. When I'm creating for myself I love to make bags and purses.

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy?
Get to know other sellers through the forums and making treasuries. Don't be afraid to ask questions and jump right into the conversation. I have gained a lot of hints and tips through chatting with other artists, and I've made some great friends too!

How do you promote your work?
I promote on my Facebook fan page, twitter, and on the Etsy forums.

Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook, twitter)?
My facebook: www.facebook.com/safferymoore
My twitter: www.twitter.com/safferymoore (@safferymoore)

What is the inspiration for your work?
My kids inspire most of what I make. It usually starts out with me trying to find a way to contain the mess of toys or a way to entertain them on the go and develops into something I can sell. My kids are a creative bunch as well and love to give me "tips" on how things might be fun for them. :)

Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?
I work Saturdays as a rural route carrier for USPS and I babysit a school aged girl everyday after school. Because I have three young boys - the oldest is in kindergarten - I am glad that I can stay home with them and be with them. It also gives me the opportunity to create during the day when they are happily playing, or in the evenings after they have gone to sleep. And, I have an amazing husband who is a very hands-on dad and is great at spending time with the boys!

Where do you create?
I create in the spare room of our house, or what my boys affectionately call "Mommy's sewing room." There is (just) enough space for my sewing table, a few shelves, and my scrapbooking table alongside the bed for when guests come to stay.

What are your goals for your shop?
I would love for my shop to continue to grow and eventually become my full time work. I have only had my store for about sixteen months, so I have a ways to go yet, but I have hope!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
If you are new to selling on Etsy, or want to start selling on Etsy - be patient! My first eleven months were incredibly slow and sometimes quite frustrating, but it has begun to pay off. Promote, meet people, and believe in your work!

Enter below for your chance to win one of these crayon rolls of your choice!

These are great to carry on the go for use in 

restaurants, waiting rooms, or anywhere you may travel!

Mandatory Entry:

 Visit Saffery Moore's Etsy Shop and tell me what your favorite item is.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment telling me which you have done):
1 entry per comment left. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each with your email address.   

Become a follower of my blog.

"Like" Saffery Moore on Facebook. (leave name you are a fan under)
Comment on one of Saffery Moore's Facebook posts.
Heart Saffery Moore's Etsy Shop

Visit my Etsy shop and tell me your favorite item.

Leave a comment on any of my other non-giveaway blog posts.
Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or Blog (leave the link where you shared)

*I am not responsible for the shipping of this item*

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to the winner!

What's Simple Is True - Gift Gude for Valentine's Day

'What's Simple Is True' by crocheting4baby

Simply said...I Love You

On Sale - Valentines Da... ravitschwartz $27.00	I Love You Plate AQuartzyLife $15.00	I Will Always Be With Y... gardenologykc $35.00
I Love Photography ACEO... heatherkingdes... $4.00	I PICK YOU Sterling Sil... greenleafpickc... $25.00	Copper Heart And Sterli... fallingleafjew... $16.00
I love you to the moon ... Crazy4Handstam... $	Amorous Gloom Earrings MissBird $15.00	Silver Hearts set of 5 ... inkwhimsy $8.00
I Heart You - Argentium... dmaliadesigns $23.00	The I Love You Ring-Ros... sunsparklz $3.45	Earrings Swarovski Crys... BoHoArtists $18.99
I heart you, RING. ster... MeadowbelleMar... $19.00	Be Mine - Pink Cherry Q... terrakengo $6.00	I Love You Silver Heart... romanzajewelry $30.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Please, Oh Please

Why must apartments be so expensive?! We currently live in a basement apartment of a house that was just recently sold so we need to move out shortly. I must say it is pretty tight in here with Bug but everywhere we look has gone up in price a ton since the last time we lived in a complex. I'm talking about $300/month more than it was two years ago! We were hoping for a two bedroom but that is not looking like a possibility. Bummer. There is a chance that we can move into a friend's THREE bedroom apartment if he gets the job transfer he applied for!

Having Bug we would rather look in a complex than another apartment in a home for a few reasons. 1) We don't know who we would be living under/over 2) We would rather not go through this having to move stress again 3) Bug is at times loud and likes to run, scream and be a kid. We wouldn't want to feel like we have to keep her quiet so that our landlord isn't frustrated. Where we are they have 2 kids above us and they don't mind any noise we may make. Where we are hoping to go my hubby has known the family for many years so it would not be an issue.

Please, oh please send us your prayers that this works out for us all. We have our hearts set on this three bedroom apartment. Even though they are small rooms, at least they would be separate and the overall space is so much larger! Hopefully we find out soon! I have big plans for decorating if we do!

I won a feature!

I was in the running for a feature on Linda B's blog with my handpainted necklace onesie and I won.

Here is my feature. Please stop by, take a look and I'd love for you to leave a comment. 

While your there please follow her blog to see more great shops featured! 

Thank you to all who voted for me!

Pumpkin Corn Bread...Yummy!

As I was walking the grocery section of Target I passed by some pumpkin puree which I haven't had in the house since the beginning of fall. I absolutely love baking with pumpkin so I picked it up and looked to find a new recipe to try for myself and Bug. I came across this recipe and it turned out to be amazingly delicious! Bug ate half a mini loaf and I ate the other half straight out of the oven! 

The rest went into the freezer for another day. 

Here's how to make it! 

Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not the pie mix!)
pinch of nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F degrees
Lightly grease the baking pan
Combine the cornmeal and milk in one bowl and let stand for 15 minutes
Combine the flour, sugar, spices and baking powder
When the 15 minutes is up, combine all ingredients and add the egg and oil and pumpkin puree
Mix well and pour into an 8" baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
(You can also make these as muffins!)

This is delicious for the whole family! I made mine in these mini loaf pans (It made 4 but we ate one right away!) I found at Michael's Craft store! 

You can find this recipe and more deliciousness here!