Don't Forget Mom!

Mother's Day is less than two weeks away -- have you gotten your mom a present yet? Or at least a card? Or are you one of those buy-whatever-is left-at-Walmart-that-morning types?


Well, inspired by my own cool Mom, I've just added a new journal to my shop. I call it my Invincible Mom mini-notebook. Every mom needs to be invincible, whether her battles be with tantrum-throwing toddlers, cranky cashiers, or the occasional fire-breathing dragon. This journal celebrates Mom's strength, but it also recognizes her need to daydream once in a while, if only to escape her battle zone for a bit.

Like all my mini-notebooks, this gem is only $5. Would your mom love to unwrap this on May 10th? Better buy it before someone else does!

Get a Free Journal!

I've just been featured by the Ozark Scents blog -- here's a link to their post about me. There's a fun little interview, plus pics of a bunch of my items. I'm so excited that they decided to feature me!

But the really awesome part is that this feature includes a giveaway. Yup, you could win my "Off the Beaten Track" journal absolutely free! They even have ways for you to get entered in the drawing multiple times by doing things like following my blog or their blog, etc -- check out that post for the official rules. If you blog about this giveaway on your own blog, you'll actually get THREE extra entries! So go check it out right away!

Happy Birthday, Bard!

Today is William Shakespeare's 445th birthday! It also happens to be my 29th birthday. So to celebrate, here are some of my favorite Shakespeare-themed items from other Etsy sellers. Most of them revolve around Hamlet because that's my favorite of his plays (to say the least).

This Hamlet journal comes from the Immortallongings shop run by Elizabeth E. Schuch. Her tender portraits of various Shakespearean characters adorn everything from journals and bookmarks to cards and jewelry. I bought two of her Hamlet bookmarks a few months ago, and I adore them! I'm seriously considering buying this journal with some of my birthday money because it's just so delicious.

Probably the best-known phrase from Hamlet -- and perhaps any of Shakespeare's plays -- has to be "To be or not to be, that is the question." This quirky necklace from Reworkd displays the phrase in an original way. It would make a great gift for someone who loves Shakespeare, Hamlet, or even typewriters.

Another well-known line from Hamlet adorns this groovy pendant from Lpjewelry. The reminder to be true to yourself would be a cool gift for a graduate, don't you think?

This necklace displays one of my favorite Hamlet lines. It's a bit existential, perfect for any deep-thinkers out there.
And finally, this nifty bag from Hamncheezr is a useful way to display your devotion to the Bard's immortal prose. I've never seen anything like it on Etsy -- this is truly one-of-a-kind.

Happy birthday, Shakespeare! You made our language so much richer, I can't imagine what it would be like without you.

Busy Moms of Etsy Blog

You may have noticed this button appear in my sidebar -- it leads to the Busy Moms of Etsy street team's blog. Visit that blog and find time-saving tips, recipes, funny stories, shop features, and more! It's just getting started, but already there are some great posts up. Definitely a blog to follow.

I joined this street team about a week ago and have met so many groovy moms on it! This is a fairly new group, but it's growing rapidly. If you're an Etsy seller and busy mom looking for a laid-back, yet energetic bunch of people to hang with, check us out!

Chicken and Asparagus Kabobs

Whenever asparagus is in season, my husband and I make several recipes a week using it. I made this one a couple nights ago, and it's so yummy I just had to share!


Chicken and Asparagus Kabobs

Dipping Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame salad dressing
1/4 tsp pepper


Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed red chilis
1/4 tsp ginger


Kabobs

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts -- cooked and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb thick-stemmed asparagus -- trimmed and cut 2" long
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside. In a sealable container, mix the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. In a second sealable container, toss the asparagus with 2 tbsp. olive oil and salt. Thread kabobs, alternating chicken and asparagus. Broil until asparagus is crisp/tender, approximately 5 minutes, turning once. Serve with dipping sauce.

Makes 4-5 servings, 2 kabobs each.

A Fistful of Fun

I'm adding a new line to my shop, cute little crocheted finger puppets. So far I've listed a puppy and a kitten, and I have a little white bunny ready to take pictures of too -- I hope to list it tomorrow.

I'm actually making up my own pattern for these, as none of the patterns I've found are quite what I want. They're either too big or too complex or too floofy -- I just want plain, sturdy little puppets that allow for imaginative play. So I've made these. Dano gets to keep my first attempts at each different puppet, and I make new ones to sell. He loves them! I have lots of ideas for more, so keep an eye on my shop to see what else I come up with.

Ahoy, Matey!

I'm in a new treasury! Or rather, me piratey little sachet is. Many thanks to the ladies at TwoKnit for including it. Go check out the treasury -- it's full of piratical plunder!