More Bath & Body Goodness!

I recently ordered this gorgeous bar of Black Raspberry Vanilla Creamy Goats Milk Soap from CozyMoments on Etsy and WOW is this bar ever luxurious! The scent is pure indulgence and the lather rich, indeed!

CozyMoments makes and sells their own line of all kinds of tempting bath and body products. I hear her sugar scrubs are super smooth and gentle, and she has lip balms (I purchased one for a gift), body frostings, milk and honey creams, shea butter, candles and more! In addition to having wonderful products, Michelle of CozyMoments is one of the sweetest and nicest people I've had the pleasure of meeting on Etsy, and I'm absolutely delighted with my purchase. Thank you, Michelle!

Bouquet Charms for the Bridal Party

What is a bride to do when she's lost a loved one who she wants to commemorate on the most important day of her life? Many brides choose to have a keepsake charm made which they tie around their bouquet, called a Bouquet Charm (or bo-k charm in the modern world of hip Internet language).

It's not at all unusual for the bride to have several made to have tied around the bridesmaid's bouquets, or to give the charms to their mother, sister, or grandmother. I'm always very touched by the inclusions of a missing loved one in this manner.

Another popular image for these charms are for pets. Most people don't bring their pets to the ceremony but would like to somehow include their furry friends in their special day. This, too, warms my heart because I know first hand how much our pets are family to us. I enjoy seeing a happy smiling pet face as much as a smiling baby, sibling, parent, or grandparent. It just feels good to celebrate a life, past or present.

Oh, have I found the best kept secret in my new hometown. Well, technically speaking it's not in my town, it's not even in my county, but it is within a 45 minute drive which means it's close enough for dinner.

Try asking someone who's been to Missy's how to get there. Forget it. Just the name of the place, Missy's "Out of the Way" Cafe should be clue enough that it's, well, not on the beaten path. The cafe is located in Raywick, Kentucky which is in Central Kentucky in Marion County and that's about as exact a verbal location as I can give (see map above).

What's so special about Missy's? Considering that I live in a dry county in Central Kentucky, an area which is one of the nation's top producers of tobacco, it's refreshing to be able to sit in a smoke-free environment while enjoying a beer with a meal. Sure I can do that at home, but Missy's has something else spectacular, SOBs, which is a fabulous creation of potatoes with melted cheese, rib eye steaks every which way and marinated in Missy's secret sauce, and a really funky collector's dream decor. It's definitely an oasis in this fast-food chain town.

A tip to those who prefer to not live on the edge? Don't head to Missy's on an empty fuel tank. There's not a filling station within miles!

Pretty Bowtique: Hair Bows for your Princess!

When it comes to making accessories for little princesses, Sandi of Pretty Bowtique knows exactly what she's doing. Her adorable and well-made clippies are a big hit with both toddlers and moms! And her bottlecap bows are trendy and hip for your "with it" girl.


Sandi has a wide array of ready-made styles, including character themes, color schemes, and sports themes. She uses modern, high quality grosgrain ribbons on all her bows and clippies. I just love the patterns and colors! And her felted clippies are just too cute!


Sandi sells her bows on Etsy, has a website, and has a following in the Central Kentucky boutiques. If you're not lucky enough to have her bows in boutiques near you, please have a look at her shops online. She also does custom orders. For your next sports event consider one of Pretty Bowtique's beautiful hairbows!

12 Ways to Say I Love You

I know it's a bit late for a Valentine's Day gift, but I thought what better item to write about on Valentine's Day than a Love Book?

Guys, pay attention: JenniBick.com sells these gorgeous red Dupioni Silk covered "12 Ways I Love You" books that are the epitome of the romantic personalized gift. Sure you can purchase these books anywhere, but at JenniBick.com you can have yours personalized on the cover with a nameplate commemorating you and your sweetie. Inside this book are 12 pages you'll need to fill out, with such things as your favorite song, your first date, and such, so don't think this is a last-minute gift.

It may be too late for Valentine's Day, but this is one great gift for your upcoming wedding anniversary!

BAM Designs The Cutest Little Purses!

I recently came into ownership of this adorable little girl purse created by BAM Designs on Etsy. Made from felt and chenille, and the straps are made from ribbons. The cute heart is a pocket, and what little girl doesn't like pockets! I just love my heart purse and I'm not even a kid!

BAM Designs also has these adorable purses with Scotties, kitties, owls, a bunny, cupcakes, and even a hedgehog. She has small purses for goodie bags, and children's blouses, zipper pulls, and pillowcases. I haven't even mentioned yet that she will personalize most of her items. If you like this purse, you should really take a look at BAM Designs to see just how cute the rest of her items are!

CraftyBagsEtc Makes Crafty Bags!

Check out this neat business card holder made by Sara of CraftyBagsEtc on Etsy. This is a fantastic idea for carrying around business cards, calling cards, even credit cards in a pinch. I love this vibrant playful fabric and the simple design. Please have a look at her shop for fabulous bags and gift ideas!

Funky Mama Scrabble Tile Pendants

You know you like funky, hip jewelry, and you don’t have to be a mama to love these new pendants. Made from Scrabble game tiles, these are one-of-a-kind pendants in my new line called “Funky Mama”.

I have loads of scrap paper in my studio left over from any number of projects that are just too beautiful to toss. Some of the papers take on a whole new dimension once coated with the clear, hard-as-nails jewelry resin. I’ve even added a small flat back Swarovski crystal to many of these as a finishing touch. The bail is silver plated. Custom orders may request a sterling silver bail or a gold plated bail. Available exclusively through my HowesDesigns on Etsy store.

Flameworks - Lip Luxury

In the heart of winter what’s the best excuse to do a little “Me” shopping on Etsy? Chapped lip prevention, of course! There are so many wonderful lip balms on Etsy it was a difficult choice for my first purchase, but I made my decision to purchase from Flameworks based on two criteria: the convenient twist-up tube applicator and “flavor”.

In very short order, my daughter and I received our Lip Luxury lip balms. She ordered chocolate mint, which is a decadent rich scent, and I ordered a berry mix with pomegranate, which I adore. Lip Luxury goes on like butter but doesn’t feel greasy and is an instant relief from the incessant dryness of winter. I just love this product! The best news about Flamework's Lip Luxury is that neither one of us has chapped lips!

Funky Monkey Scrabble Tile Pendant

I love making these fun pendants and wanted to share this cute Funky Monkey pendant (available in my Etsy store) in pale blue, brown and white. I don’t even like monkeys but I think this turned out wonderfully and is an adorable pendant even I would wear. Such a cute monkey in trendy colors, this would be a hip accessory addition for anyone.

Gorgeous Custom Photo Scrabble Pendant

I'm so excited about this new piece and I hope you love it as much as I do. Introducing for the first time, this beautiful resin coated Custom Photo Scrabble Tile. I'm over the moon about how gorgeous this piece is. I love the simplicity and the beauty of the silver plated bail (also available in sterling silver).

Here is the text I have included in my Etsy store on this piece:

"I’m very excited to offer this beautiful Custom Photo Scrabble Tile Pendant that has been fully coated with a thick layer of jewelry grade resin. How gorgeous this piece is with a beautiful keepsake image of your very own.

This piece is available in full color, black & white (shown), and sepia. All I need from you is your uncropped image, and I’ll do the rest. You may also submit art, a traditional photograph through the mail, or have a few lines of text instead of an image.

These are wonderful keepsakes to wear and to give. Many brides have purchased custom image charms and pendants from me to use on their wedding or bridal bouquets, or to share with their bridal party.

Each tile measures just under 1" (roughly .75" x .875"). The bail is silver plated. If you would like a sterling silver bail, I will be happy to adjust the price for you."

Come on Baby, Light My Fire!

This was a neat project I created for HowesDesigns on Etsy. Very inexpensive and tons of fun, I designed these for candle makers to include with their wares. Completely customizable, they can include the candle maker’s logo and shop information, or like the samples shown, they can represent a specific holiday or season.

Perfect for self-promotion as well as utilitarian. These were printed with a color laser printer which means they’re less likely to smear with use.