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six by six

Well, it appears that my friend over at TiLT has been very busy this weekend. (Not to mention the fact that she writes THREE blogs.) This time, she has tagged me in a meme called "six by six". Click here to see TiLT's "six by six".

The above photo is supposed to be the sixth picture in the sixth album in my photo library. Thus, the name. However, I must admit that this darling photo of Gage & Zuzu being super silly is really the fifth picture in the sixth album in my photo library. Yes, I cheated. But for the good of my children and stalkers everywhere. See, my children quite prefer to be naked and the sixth photo was a waist down shot. It's really darling but I just wouldn't feel right posting it here for all to see. (of course it did circulate to the entire family the night it was taken) I'll set it up for you...they are looking out the sliding glass door. Gage is wearing a pair of my black flip-flops, Zuzu has on her bright pink crocs and they are showing off the most adorable tushies. Ever.

The above picture was taken the same evening and, if you look close you will see that it was last February. (I got a new computer last year so my photos are all pretty recent) My how time flies! Gage was doing a silly song and dance performance for me before bed and little sis hopped up on the bench to sing along. They are a hoot and a half. I could just eat 'em up. Oh yeah, I do.

Just for kicks I went to my on-line photo gallery to see what the "six-by six" was in the later archives. I had to cheat a little here too because some of the albums were Scott's and I don't even know who's in them. But the sixth photo in the sixth album that I shot was this...

Bella Bean's first night with us...12/20/01...


And while I'm walking down memory lane, and since you rarely get to see me, this is the eleventh photo in the second album. I'm wearing a wig (clearly) at the local art festival. 9/2/01....


And now for the fun stuff. I get to tag six more bloggers. You're it! Let's see your six by six...
daisy creek designs
turtle park tots
menacing pickle
everyone is doin' it
taylor daniel rogers
a mommy's musings

I'd like to thank the academy...

Actually, I'd like to thank TiLT for the thoughtful Kreativ Blogger nomination. I am honored and so lucky that talented folks like her actually take the time to visit, read & comment on my blogs. It makes me feel super special & a little less sad about all the sleep I'm missing!

In turn, I would like to honor some other lovely ladies that accompany me on-line on a regular basis. Please take a moment to stop by their blogs and see why I think they're worthy of the Kreativ Blogger Award ...

lemon drop studio
two zany zebras
stampin' mom
beantown handmade

If you've been nominated and would like to pass the award on, here are the guidelines.
1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate up to 8 other bloggers.
4. Link to those on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

the station

I just saw a quote on Twitter that inspired me so I'm going to get a little sappy on you and share something personal...

See, I just celebrated my second year anniversary as a stay at home mom. Leaving a dream job was probably one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. During the few weeks that I was pondering what to do a friend & co-worker brought me a photocopy of this article. It was posted on the “quote board” in her building.

It is a copy of an old 1987 LA Times newspaper article written by Robert J. Hastings. It was sent in to the office by a woman that I never knew. Her husband worked with us for several years. He died of a heart attack while with his teenage son in a ski line at Lake Tahoe about six months earlier. He was in his late 40’s. His wife found this article in his wallet after he died and felt compelled to share it with the office. It is part of the reason that I have spent the last two years at home with my glorious children & it continues to inspire me even today...

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering-waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes-Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24:”This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

(I particularly like the ice cream part.)

tizzalicious

I don't know Maartje from Tizzalicious but her shop makes me happy so I figured I'd share the love. Tizz lives in the Netherlands but don't you worry, she ships everywhere! Her Etsy shop is a bright & cheerful display of jewelry, hair clips and housewares. Prices are beyond lovely and range between $5-$12. Take a peek. I can just about guarantee you a smile.

lilyfly

I haven't replaced my simple stud earrings in years but if I ever decided to do so I'd definitely hit up Lilyfly's Garden. Clever designs & prices that are sure to entice. Her shop is on Etsy and she's a brand new member of the Etsy Mom team. Visit her shop and show her some love why don't you? She's got more than earrings...

fawn and forest

frazier + wing | recycled magazine mobile | 28"


estela lugo | animal attraction pillows


tiny warbler | elephant


kata golda | pig & party animals tea set


I've been a fan of fawn and forest for some time now and their link is conveniently located on my sidebar...see, right there under "zuzu shops". Now if I was going to open an on-line boutique for children it would look an awful lot like this. Beautiful, artistic, unique, modern & functional. All rolled into one. Lovely. Simply lovely. Please feel free to click on & drool over some of my favorite things pictured above...

jen's closet

There's something really special about adding vintage accents to a modern home and I have so much fun perusing Etsy for kitchy finds. And, there's something really special about Jen's Closet. She stocks 21 pages full of dinnerware, clothing, accessories and linens. To name a few. Pictured above are just two of my favorites. Apparently milk glass has been a successful venture for her as she's just added a new shop dedicated entirely to the category. Here are a few of my favorites from "my milk glass shop" too...




She has a blog...and she tweets...so you have absolutely no excuse not to find her somewhere in cyberspace...

mom made that!

And the name is just what it implies. Mom Made That! is a website designed by a lovely lady named Amy, and driven by Mommy businesses of all kinds. Amy boasts that Mom Made That! "is THE place to list, shop and support mom businesses and blogs". Take a peek, and support moms. Goodness knows we need all the help we can get! You might also want to checkout these cute shops that I stumbled upon there tonight...

Sweet Mady's Paper


See Jack Draw

sold!

Today I listed these. About thirty minutes later I sold them to a repeat customer and an old friend. And guess what? I was actually a little bummed. Not because I wanted to keep them for myself (which often happens) but because I thought they were so damn cute and I was so excited to show them off. But once they sell, they are logically removed from the shop and you can only see them by clicking on my sold items. I immediately ran to the tremendous ribbon bin to see if I could hit relist immediately and replicate them tonight. Nope. Not enough ribbon. Bummer.

So I left and did my post office run, drove through the car wash & picked up two kids. It wasn't until I got home and sat down to blog that I realized, hah, I can still show them off. You just can't buy them. Yet. But aren't they cute enough to warrant their own blog post? Please say yes...

cora paige

This is Cora Paige. I never had the honor to meet Cora Paige nor do I actually know her parents, Joel & Jessica. I was introduced to this beautiful family by Etsy in this article posted on The Etsy Storque.

Cora Paige died of stage 4 cancer, three weeks after being taken to the doctor for a repeated ear infection and only a month shy of her March 5th first birthday. Her mother's blog, documented her life with Cora and her sudden thrust into a nightmare that she never could have anticipated.

The Etsy community has come together to support the family. If only in some small way. Nearly two hundred shops thus far have joined the effort and are donating what they can. Please search Cora Paige to see the listings. Know that your purchase will help build a legacy, a playground for generations of children to enjoy. A legacy for a beautiful girl who's time on earth was much too short.

Learn more about Cora Paige and her family here.

View the zuzu girl handmade dream catcher benefiting Cora Paige here.

weekend warrior

I had so much fun this weekend working on these new designs for zuzu girl handmade. I listed six new items today and four more will go up as soon as they can be photographed. I'm loving my new cotton ribbon in assorted florals, polka dots and stripes and will be running back to restock it tomorrow. Bizarre how something so simple can provide so much inspiration!

If you have an opinion about the new designs please...leave a comment! I'd love to know what you think. Do the barrette & pony holders interest you? You can see more images here. Give it to me straight, won't ya?

twitterific treasury

You can view this treasury live on Etsy until 9:30pm Sunday night. If you have the chance to swing by please click and comment & show it some love. Here are just a couple of the special things you'll find there...

ruby's hill copper raven pendant
jen's closet russ berrie girl
far north creations delilah wood pendant

strong shoulders in NYC

So tell me. How do you feel about a return of the shoulder pad? I'm thinking I'd have to be far hipper than I am to actually pull that one off again. But oh did I rock me some shoulder pads in the 80's. Even had the big ones that came in the metal canister that you could rotate from one jacket to the next. Remember those lovelies?

Image courtesy of the always stylish Sartorialist.

momdot (dot com)

Remember this post with the same title? Thought not. Even a successful blog needs a little love and PR sometimes so I'm going to tell you a little about them again (in their own words). Come visit...you might just find me hanging out there too...

MomDot is a mom blog listing site that is run by mommy bloggers, trisha, alicia, and bridgette.They run contests weekly, reviews on awesome (and not so awesome) products for family and kids, and talk about their lives. But more importantly, they feature bloggers and mom boutiques to give them an avenue to get thier name out there, also assisting in google links! You can head out and list your blog for free and talk to them about doing an interview about you. Head on over and see what MomDot is about!

what moms love

Have you ever wondered what kinds of products, services & places other moms love? Want a place to share all the things you obsess over? Or are you just looking for another time suck? Found it!

It's called Mom Faves. Mom Faves is a cooperative internet site for moms with opinions. You don't have to join to see what other people are calling their favorites but you do have to join to post your own. But, if you do join, please, come find me here on my lonely little page.

do you DIY?

If you do, visit ohdeedoh and checkout the small project DIY contest going on now. Apartment Therapy has teamed up with Etsy and there is not much time left. The deadline to enter is February 23rd. I doubt I'll personally make the deadline but I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with. And how cute is that clock in their photo shown above?!

better late than never?

Friendship Bracelet Valentines

Madlib Valentines

Valentines Day has come and gone and, if your kids are like mine, they are still going through their class bag of valentines to see who gave them what. I saw these on Design Mom today, and although it's certainly too late for this year I figured I'd get them up and try to remember them for next. Or maybe we should work on them this rainy weekend and store them away. Would that be cheating?

and the winner is...

Number 3...Becky Sorensen!!!

Becky entered our One World One Heart contest on January 24th along with 129 other bloggers in hopes to win a custom zuzu girl handmade dreamcatcher. She was chosen by a random number generator this morning but it just so happens that three is my favorite number. Wild.

Becky writes a blog called Becky's crafts which you can find HERE.

Thank you so much to everyone that took time to visit my blog and to the 129 that loved our dream catchers enough to enter. We were overwhelmed by the response. And thanks to Lisa for sponsoring One World One Heart 2009. It was so much fun visiting the over 900 blogs that participated. Wow. What an awesome event.

waiting for the paint to dry...

Literally waiting for the paint to dry. Our two latest acquisitions, aptly designed for our two children, were custom made by San Francisco based artist Blair Bradshaw. I hope to be able to photograph them hanging over the kid's desk soon....and I can't wait for our new reader to try to figure out what they say!