Favorite Finds: Etsy Style

 via paule trudelle belle mare

First Things First

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! It not often today, that people can say they've been married for nearly 60 years. You guys have stood the test of time and then some.  Truly, 5 kids. None of us angels. Dogs. Cats. Even turtles at one point.  Many moves (at least before I was born), carting small children across the US to different work locations. Changing a gazillion diapers. Volunteering for umpteen organizations. Raising money for worth while causes. Broken bones. Living away from family. Making your friends your family. Seeing friends and family pass away. Seeing grandchildren and great grandchildren born.  Living life to the fullest and through it all, together.

We raise a glass to you and say, Salute and L'chaim! (More at the bottom of this post.)

It's OK To Pick Favorites

Cross my heart and hope to die.....ok, maybe not, but it really is ok to pick favorites when browsing on etsy. If you haven't been bitten by the etsy bug yet, here's the scoop. Etsy is an worldwide online marketplace for wonderful things that are made by hand, vintage or supplies to make really great stuff. Etsy is made up of shops owned by individuals or small groups.  There is a plethora of product (how'd you like that alliteration?) from places far and wide.  Caution: proceed to etsy at your own risk. You may not be able to leave. Please, by all means, while you're there, do visit our own little shop- Bates Mercantile Co.  

Now, onto the task at hand. This post isn't about our shop on etsy.  It's about other shops on etsy and the things I've discovered of late, that I really, really like. I hope you like them too.

1. Lovely little cahiers to carry to jot something down, covered in pretty Italian paper.

Via nauli

2. Lemon-yellow showers tea towel.

Via homesteading roasters

3. Colorful cloud brooch.

via an astrid endeavor

4. both impressionist and modern art that speaks to me.

via siiso

5. Chinoiserrie Earrings

via jewel rush

6. A piece of art that reminds me of me (twenty years ago! ha!)

me and my dark hair and mole above my lip. me cutting my own bangs. 

actually been leaning towards cutting a new fringe lately.

via paule trudelle belle mare

7. gorgeous vintage french dresser (made even more beautiful by my friend Susie)

via harris marks home

8. Cute little 'couple' of egg cups

via a needle in the hay

(These are so darn cute, I'm starting to think I may have included them in my favorite finds before!)

Do you shop or window shop on etsy? Are you amazed at the things you find there? It's like a candy store for adults. If you have any favorite finds from etsy, feel free to share them in the comments. I love to discover new shops from your recommendations.

Suggested Reading

A couple of my blogging pals have written posts that I think are really worth reading. 

First, Paige's post over on Little Nostalgia is about business and the 'art' of pricing or the 'justification' of pricing.  This is something that many business owners grapple with, I certainly have and do.  Here's rub though (and this took me too long to learn), if you're in business for yourself, you are in fact in it to some extent 'in it for the money'. You are trying to earn a living. You are not in it for your health or to be a charity case.  If you grapple with this at all, head on over and to Little Nostalgia and read Paige's post. I'd also just like to add, apparently some people missed the age old lesson 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all'. (You'll find my take on things in the comments under Paige's post).

Secondly, Bonnie at {PaperKeeper} has written a beautiful post about the loss of someone too young who was full to the brim with promise.  It would be a wonderful tribute to her student and friend Rachel, if we all took something away from Bonnie's post...whether it's to support others, be kind to others or live with all the gusto we've got.

Side By Side

As I mentioned, today is my parent's anniversary. Love this picture I got of them at the beginning of the Summer.

We couldn't have asked for better parents.  Really and truly. You're always there no matter what we need. What more could we ask for?

This is for you. (by the way, it takes a few moments to begin so be patient). Click here if you're reading by email.

We'll be celebrating later on their porch, to be sure.

Hope you're all having a great week.

Ciao for now,

Belated Wish & What I Found

Happy Father's Day

It was a busy weekend with my niece Caitlin's wedding and all. I didn't get to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day on The Muse yesterday, because the wedding celebration continued with brunch. It turned out to be a beautiful day for Cait and Jon and Dad. The sun was shining and there were lots of good memories flying around the patio at my sister Gloria's.

Love the shot of me and Dad below. I'm a good few pounds heavier than I was in this shot, so that's a little depressing. OK, I'm over it. I just really like the picture.

My Dad is Mr. Fix It, and I'm not talking about building repairs although he can do that too. He's just a natural born problem solver.  He's also Mr. Get It Done. If you need something done, just ask him, whether it's something small or big. Raytheon figured that out and would have him handle tough cases to 'fix it and get it done'.  We're all lucky to always have him on our side.  He also feels at home with a microphone in his hand, has been known to dress up as a nun.................

.....and sang every word of You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You to Cait when they danced at her wedding Saturday.  That of course made Cait cry. Of course, a coffee commercial would make Cait cry. Actually, the wedding festivities were quite emotional. We can all blame that on my father, he's the emotional one we all got it from. I blew this picture of him and Cait (with Cait's bridesmaid Crystal in the back) up for Father's Day. Everyone loved it.  Grampy and Cait. Yesterday my father wore one of his 'Cait' tshirts to the brunch.  You know, those tshirts you can make in the mall. Cait was about 12. It was classic.

Here's to you Dad. Happy Father's Day- You're the best! Hope you enjoyed your day. I sure did. It was fun sitting around the table reminiscing. 

What I Found & Heard at the Party

As usual, lots of great stuff popping up at the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party which is still going on!

I was blown away by the work of Ashleigh Coyner of Bleu Oiseau who has an etsy shop and blogs too.

via ashleigh coyner/bleuoiseau

via ashleigh coyner/bleuoiseau

via collaboration of Sharon Pederson & Ashleigh Coyner/BleuOiseau

via ashleigh coyner/bleuoiseau

Amazing. Right?

Reshma of Ahkriti is a regular at these link parties, but her jewelry is way beyond 'regular'. It's more like......um.....GORgeous.

via Ahkriti

The deep midnight blue color of this piece is spectacular.

via ahkriti

Speaking of color, you can visit Reshma's blog Color Canopy and you'll find this great watermelon and feta recipe. Mmmmm. Salty and sweet.

One of the wonderful things about etsy, you will find artists and crafters of every medium.  Multiples. All talented in their own right.

What a sweet thank you note by the lovely Sara from Royal Regards. 

via royalregards

Rational Designs' to pink note cards are sure to make a statement.

via rationaldesigns

How cute would these be on top of cupcakes?  LittleSugarTops will make your cupcakes even happier with fondant creations that are sure to bring a smile.

via littlesugartops

via littlesugartops

Need even more fun? How about this Super Hero PJ Pillow from fAveritte Creations? The cuteness knows no bounds.

via fAveritteCreations

I mean, what kid wouldn't want love pulling their PJs out of one of these at a sleepover?

via fAveritteCreations

Too cool for school. (That's why they're for a sleepover.)

One more thing in the fun category......the GIVEAWAY!!! If you haven't entered yet, there is no time like the present. There are serious quantities of great stuff to be had.

Enjoy the day. The sun is trying to come out here. It's quite coolish today but the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 80s and 90s. Going to do my best to get the pool ready toot-sweet.

Ciao for now,



It's a Wrap

Presents Open, Cake Eaten. Check.

We were off to sister Di's last night to celebrate my Mom's birthday.  It turned out to be a nice night so I was sure to take a walk around Di's gardens which are starting to pop.

The Rhodies are in full bloom.

Cayden, my great nephew, and Sophia, my great niece walked through the garden with me a little while. Then the slide called.

Then the fairies called.

And more flowers, like this iris. Amazingly beautiful.

Pretty green hosta.



Then back to the party. Sohpia giving Great Grammy her card that she made.



More merriment.

And of course, cake!

Don't forget the surpise guest...............Hampton's newly 'crowned' (a much deserved honor for our friend) Citizen of the Year Desi Lanio, proprietor of The 401 Tavern. 

All and all, a fun night celebrating life!

What hot for you today? I've got meeting prep, meeting, back to the desk to do work for several clients....you know, the usual juggling.  Hope you're got some more creative endeavors up your sleeve.

Ciao for now,

Many Happy Returns of the Day

Party Girl

It's my Mom's birthday today.  Happy Birthday Mom!! That's her with her extra-daughter Cin. (hey cin!).  In addition to being 'Ma' to our pal Cin, Marge is the mother of 5 children- 2 boys and 3 girls, grandmother to 8 grandchildren- 4 boys, 4 girls (wow didn't that just work out great) and a furball named Lucan, and great grandmother of 2 great grandchildren (jeesh, hope I got that all right). 

Before I was born my mother and father moved all around this country for Dad's work. Arkansas, Idaho, Washington, NY state, and Massachuestts just to name a few.  My mother did all of this with small children in the back of the station wagon. Personally, that sounds like medal worthy stuff. Seriously. (The dog (inky) flew across country a couple of times, but not may parents.) Changing diapers while driving cross country? And if that wasn't enough, she survived all of us. Trust me, and I won't go into details here, but there were certainly enough reasons for her to call it quits and hit the ground running.



A few things about Marge:

She grew up in Yonkers, NY where she met my father who also grew up there.  After my father took her on a date, he informed her that he was 'going to marry her'.

She makes photo albums for each of her children every Christmas, complete with a listing of who is in the picture, where was it taken, and when, recorded on the back. Most pictures in the ablums are accompanied by comments she has clipped out of magazines all year. It's a ton of work. I look foward to going over mine again Christmas morning just to see what I missed.

She's an avid crocheter and is always working on another baby blanket.

She's a Red Sox fan. Well, first she was a NY Giants fan and Bobby Thompson was one of her guys. Then the Giants left NY and she landed in New England.

She has a wicked elbow, so don't mess with her.

Her and my father were quite the dancers.....give 'em a lindy and they were up on the floor. They can still cut a rug, but perhaps something a little slower than a lindy.

She cruised to a lot of places including Bermuda, the Carribean and through the Panama Canal.

She is the original recycler. She's been reusing plastic bags, cans, ribbon, and more as long as I can remember.

She is so thoughtful, we joke that she has thank you notes made out before an occasion because you get them so quickly.

She alway has a bag for you to take from her house, that is full of magazines she's passing along (more recycling), newspaper clippings, and coupons.

She knows the difference between a 2 penny nail, a finishing nail, and a roofing nail. She also knows how to operate a paint mixing machines thanks to a stint as a hardware store owner. (I still love a good hardware store to this day).

She voluteered a LOT in our town whether it was the Catholic Women's Club, the Lioness Club or the Chamber of Commerce.

She was a Fashion Wagon hostess.  I'll just say, I don't remember FashionWagon being risque at all, so I'm not sure what this ad is about. What I do remember is how happy it made me when she rolled a new rack of clothes into the living room.

She once went to pick up my brother from scuba diving, complete with the rope he requested for the 'tuna' he had caught. Yeah, that's not going to happen people. Tunas are bigger than people. I'm sure my brother got the Dignam elbow for that one, after he stopped laughing.

She makes a wicked Bracciole and I love her chicken and rice bake. Oh how I loved her chocolate pudding parfaits as a kid!

She enjoys port wine and will surely be enjoying one tonight.

She, along with my parents friends, would do anything for a laugh.

She's extremely supportive.

When you're my Mom's friend, you're friends for life.

So, here's to you Mom! We're both glad you're our Mom and our friend for life.

Here's wishing you many happy returns of the day.

Love ya and as you would say, ciao!

Just Up The Road on My Birthday And The Winner Is

Just Up The Road

Yesterday, the baby of the family (that would be me) turned 46.  How the heck did that happen? In honor of the occasion, I took the afternoon off and went wandering with my sister Dianne.  First stop was French Door Antiques, a lovely little shop I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. Only problem was, I'd forgotten to put my memory card back in the camera so I didn't get to take pictures.

This time I was prepared. Proprietors Dolly (who I haven't met  in person yet) and Debbie (who I met yesterday), and their assistant Kathryn, really pack a lot of wonderful things into the space that they have. Just the way I like an antique shop. So many things to look at, your eye doesn't know where to go first.

The beadwork on that bodice was spectacular.

Honestly, that french enamelware stacked lunch/picnic set was in fantastic condition. 

The ladies are having an open house next Saturday. In case you live nearby, or want to take a road trip, French Door Antiques is located at 780 Portsmouth Avenue in Greenland, NH.  It's chock full of great finds and well worth a visit.

After French Door, we headed to Target to return some lampshades Di had bought that didn't work with her lamps.

This is what we were greeted by in the parking lot, from last weekend's storm.

Really?

I feel bad for the people who are still without power, and there are plenty of them.  That storm brought so many trees down and really made a mess.

Onto the Celebration 

After the afternoon jaunt, we were off to 10 Tobey Street- my parent's house and where I grew up in Hampton (a mile from beach....so lucky).  I was really  hoping that Dad had gotten the big, honkin' USA caught shrimp he usually gets in for birthday celebrations.

I was not disappointed. They were truly colossal.

Can you say yum? You don't have to ask me twice if I'd like one.

Here's Mom/Marge enjoying her port wine and new chair.

The official birthday picture.

And, one of photographer Di (who is usually the flip video director, not the photographer) trying to pose like a model which is obviously amusing Mom.

Sorry Di, I had to include this one. Mom is cracking up.

It was a lovely birthday cocktail hour on the porch. My parent's make something out of everyone's birthday.  It's always nice to feel special. Life is good.

When we got home, the dog pretended that he'd been partying all day.

He was zonked.

Honestly, he hadn't been partying. He'd pretty much been in this position all day.

It's a tough life, but someone has got to do it.

Out Of The Hat

Points have been tallied, names have gone into the hat, and Gar has picked out the winner of our latest giveaway.....drum roll please.......

Sara from Royal Regards, come on down! 

Congratulations to Sara who has one this sweet little number.  I'll be in touch to get your address. 

Keep your eyes out this week for our next giveaway.

Moonrise Meadows

Missed the sunset last night, but caught a glimpse of the moon coming through the trees as I was heading to bed. It was big and bright yellow.

Fabulous.

Happy Saturday everyone. I think the b-day celebration will continue (we like to milk them in my family) tonight. At some point we're going to enjoy a nice meal at my friend's restaurant, but tonight we're thinking campfire.

Ciao for now



Happy Birthday Dad and Dancing in the Hood

Happy Birthday Dad/Mr. D.

It's my Dad's birthday today.  He's invited for a birthday dinner tomorrow night. I gave him a choice of a white lasagna or pork roast. He went for the pork. Like father like daughter I guess. I have to say, pork roast is one of my favorite Sunday dinners. Gar's too.

Dad and Mom went up the 401 Tavern for dinner last night and were welcomed with a booth, decked out in balloons in honor is his birthday. Typical Desi style at the 401.  The enjoyed themselves but wondered what the other diners were thinking about their 'special' booth.

That's Dad showing off his Are You Being Served mug we gave him for Christmas. We share a love for the show. Cracks us all up.

Some things about Dad:

1. He has been known to dress up on occasion, usually for a good cause for which money was being raised. His alter egos have included: Sister Mary Punishment, Rev. Charles DoGood, Tip O'Neill, an Italian girl named Angelina, a boxing trainer named Cauliflower McPug, and an Elf.  Yup. He's quite colorful.
2. Dad/Jerry loves a microphone.  He sang in just about every lounge/restaurant we were in that had one, or at any piano bar that had a seat. I take after him, well, in my own house at least.  He has also introduced a lot of people with a microphone in hand including SenatorAl Gore, Congressman Dick Gephardt, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Bob Kerry..........the list goes on.
3. He served during the Korean war, but was luckily never sent overseas. He was very good at engineering, and this was a good thing. Later he became a missile engineer. Dad had jobs all over the U.S. from Arkansas to Idaho, from Washington state to Connecticut, and New York to Massachusetts.
4. He is the ultimate problem fixer. He knows how to get things done.
5. He raised 5 children with my mother; has 8 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
6. Dad has built half the furniture in my house, from my colonial hutch/water chest, our sailmaker's coffee table, my hopechest, spoonracks to my knickknack shelves and curio cabinet. He's also quite the folk artist, painting many of his creations freehand.
7. He's a great dad.

This one's for you Dad! Happy Birthday.

Smooth Deano singing one of your favorites.

Friday Night in The Hood

Last night the neighborhoodlums came over for my steak bomb sandwiches. MMMM. We all agreed.....extrememly yummy. When I get a picture, I'll post the recipe. It's easy and feeds a crowd.

After the sandwiches we need to move! Gar was the youtube DJ, while the rest of us cut a rug. OK, we didn't cut a rug, because we have laminate floors. But we did tear up the floor.

Tom and I got everyone started and then everyone else joined in.

Here's Sandee, gettin' down.

Gerry playing a little air guitar.

Joan stealing Tom back from me, for a spin around the floor.

Sorry they're blurry. I was in motion and so were they. Next time, I'll stop dancing while I take the pictures. 

Gar has officially dubbed Tom, John Travolta.

Sunset Meadows

Another beautiful one last night.

Have a great Saturday. Ours includes work at my desk, splitting wood, laundry and lots more fun stuff. What about you? Gonna dance the night away?