Custom Tea Towels

I like to make fun projects when I go visit my aunt. One of our projects was decorating tea towels. She came up with the idea of putting a snap in so you can snap them around the oven or fridge door. That way your child doesn't run off with your tea towel. My children tend to want to steal my towels, if only for the 18 month old to throw them in the trash. The snaps help me in the constant batter that is living with the kiddos. Every mom needs a little help with keeping things organized, and every little thing to make things easier is definitely work it.
My friend EllaBelleEtsy who makes darling jewelry asked me if I could make some with Amy Butler Fabrics which I happened to have lying around so here are some of the options I made for her.

now if only I can bring myself to give them to her instead of keeping them for myself.

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Thursday Three: Healthy Healthy Healthy

I want my whole family to be healthier- so I'm going to get a sign that announces it is a house rule. BECAUSE IT IS. we will eat our veggies and put THIS SIGN on the wall to help remind us. John W Golden makes these fantastic By Order of the Management signs and I bought one mounted on a block and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I feel like he is a "fancy" etsy seller because I've seen his work at the Land of Nod. The only problem for me and all these signs- it's hard to pick which ones you want. Because I sometimes want them all.

last night I went to a gardening class- I'm going to start planning my garden which is so exciting. I tend to be a little more... expansive? ambitious? than I need to be. But today I bought my organic seeds. I'm so excited to have organic seeds to trade with the ladies in the garden club. We were all looking at our Gardener Porn yesterday (that's seed catalogs) and flipping through different garden plans. I like a fairly formal and ornamental design. Cubits is one of the nicest sellers I've ever met on Etsy, so I got me seeds from her. She has a wonderful blog about her organic lifestyle. I'm glad to plant lots of colorful veggies because I'm doing the new weight watchers program online and you can eat all the veggies you want! Deep down in my soul I wish I had the discipline to be vegan but I think an organic garden is a start. Now if only I can convince my husband to never go to taco bell again...

this print is the happiest thing in my dieting life right now. Even though I am full of a very positive attitude it is fun to have a little print to look at for all those other times. I think everyone should have one. I've lost 9 pounds so far and yesterday I had a mini melt down where I went to Olive Garden with my friends and split a tour of italy. oops. It's OK. I can eat healthy and work out like a mother for one year. I can do this. and people will still like me at the end.

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The Sweetest Blog Post Ever

I will by buying these seeds from Cubits in a month or two... Please come spring!

Well if you love Organic Gardening you should really get to know Cubits' etsy shop. She is one of the nicest people EVER. ever. seriously. and she made a blog post about me that makes me so happy. She got a few tie die shirts from me for a midwife friend. Twins! I can't imagine having twins- one child makes me feel like I will never sleep again. (well I have two, but i mean when you have one baby).
Please comment on her blog post HERE. What a beautiful blog she has. It makes me want to buy some organic fabric and garden supplies. I guess just about everything makes me want to buy fabric though...

My next tie dye adventure did not go well with Danielle- but we sure do have fun. What is it about tie dye that makes kids want to just throw color around all over everything- Danielle loves it and comes out with a shirt that is a kind of puke brown color and wants to wear it EVERY DAY. now we've restricted ourselves to just two colors at a time, and she just douses hers and the table and, if possible, the floor around where she is working.
It makes me crazy! and it is hilarious.
Danielle had an art project today. Underneath the kitchen table. With a permanent Marker. my little artist.
My mom informs me that the payback from my childhood hasn't even begun yet (and this NOT the first marker adventure). How am I so bad at hiding markers? I can never find one...
I'm so excited for going outside with Danielle and working in the yard so she doesn't color on the floor underneath the table. I was IN THE SAME ROOM and I somehow didn't notice. I guess I was just mesmerized by the dishes and Mark emptying the cupboards. Why do child locks only work on adults? I still don't understand it. Soon all that creative energy can be spent working in the dirt :-)

what do you do with your creative energy?

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My Dog: Thursday Three

Now I don't know if you are aware, but I happen to have one great big dog. Well he weighs 100 pounds which I think is big. He is a mutt. He is not very smart. He is also adorable. His best trick: down. He also knows how to "get lost" which means go far away from me. I taught him that when i was pregnant. He looks old and always has since his fur has some white in it. He is built for distance and is never aggressive. His worst quality is that if you leave him alone too long in a back yard he helps excavate it with digging. Since he is a lab mixed with a shepherd or maybe a super mutt he sometimes trees things. Or does that great big hound bellow. Or wants to herd people. Or wants to protect us. He flunked obedience class several times. So after this description you should know that EVERYONE wants our dog Austin. He is somehow the perfect dog. He has never had an accident in the house except the day we got him when he was barfing worms. He only weighed ten pounds then. This is the most loved dog in the world- everyone volunteers to take him if we can't have him anymore. He is great with children and doesn't chew on things and is house broken. Plus he is afraid of cords and vacuum cleaners and any other machine that might be trying to kill him. He loves to get his toys out of the bin when I've picked up all the kid toys. He also loves to bark at 12:30 in the afternoon. Once a cat at the vet that had been attacked by dogs got in the area Austin was in. They were found snuggling together and always do when Austin visits. This week's Thursday Three is dedicated to him.

AUSTIN THE GENTLEMAN:
Austin always lets the kids climb on him and even doesn't get mad when babies try to poke him in the eye. He just things they are trying to show him love. He is a Gentleman.



Red Tartan Bow Tie Dog Collar from Sillybuddy
How awesome are these? I love the idea of our noble dummy wearing not only a collar but a bow tie. He knows that he is noble. I think Austin would be friends with Buddy from Sillybuddy. They would run around and Buddy would show Austin who was boss unless there was a bone involved and then Austin would steal it and guard it. Here is a description of Buddy from SillyBuddy: Silly Buddy - Buddy loves bananas, peanut butter, carrots, french fries, homemade popsicles and apples the most. He loves to roll around in warm, clean laundry and although he likes his own giant bed plenty - when we fall sound asleep he sneaks up to cuddle with us in our bed. He steals smelly socks and loves to sleep on them. Buddy loves to swim but he hates to take a bath. He gets so excited and pees his pants when we play with the laser pen and loves to roll around the floor with grandma. He loves to chase squirrels and bunnies, even when there seems to be no squirrels and bunnies around. Buddy loves to travel, he traveled to Europe, made lots of friends and enjoyed more European food than we were able to. When its late at night Buddy is very considerate, he goes up and down the stairs very slowly and quietly. Buddy gives so many kisses and loves catching bubbles. Buddy jumps so high you'd think he has a built in trampoline and could probably fly really high if he tried with his dumbo-like ears. Buddy is jealous, yet so gentle and kind. Sometimes he is a lion, at times he is a bird, sometimes he is a deer and a little bit of the time he is a pig. Buddy can find his red ball no matter where we hide it. Lately he can't seem to part with his peanut butter filled bone - When we go for a walk, Buddy brings his bone.

Buddy loves us, and we love Buddy more.

Don't you think they would be doggie friends? Austin loves other black dogs.

Austin the Famous:
Austin is sometimes very smelly. He doesn't always understand that smelling bottoms is not a polite thing to do. He seemed especially interested in smelling my bottom while I was pregnant. He knew before I did.



King Of Farts Dog Tag by Sudlow
One of my first and best Etsy purchases EVER- the King of farts dog tag. My dog is truly a king of farts. Actually now that I think of it I should send one to Austin's pug friend Ralph who is truly a royal farting dog. Did you know that Austin modeled for Sudlow? And when I say modeled I mean we sent them a picture of our dog with his dog tag on and they put it in the listing :-) Famous! One guess which one is Austin:



Austin is in the bottom right. He is using everything inside of him to sit still. also John was holding him back. Rachael Sudlow has a Website HERE. I love her stuff and my dog loves his necklace. Everyone I know loves it. They are always a little surprised to find his name is Kind of Farts. Then they laugh. because it is true. This dog can aerosolize waste. More about Rachael:

A graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, Rachael's photography work captures the landscape with an unusual perspective, bringing the bovine & barnyard up close and personal, while transforming them into a new reality.
Her work in all aspects focuses on nature & the organic side of life. The jewelry line has been described as 'a whimsical take on the everyday'. Her line of jewelry is sold among stores across the world and is also available online.

Based out of her Lawrence, Kansas studio, she also teaches jewelry at the Lawrence arts center.

Austin the Lazy:

when Austin was in beginner obedience class three times he was really only good at one thing: down. Everyone else would be anxiously waiting to be released and Austin would lay on his side and sometimes fall asleep. He begs by sitting across the room and laying down. The only thing he really gets up for really fast is danger- like the Vacuum cleaner.

XXL 50 by 57 Unique Tough Big Dog Bed from BowWowBeds

Austin likes to eat his stuffed animals and kill them just as much as the next dog. They are loved bits of threadbare stuff after a while. Nothing is more exciting than fluff. You can imagine that his beloved beds do not fare much better.
BowWowBeds has a great dane named Darth Vader. I wonder if he could make more slober than my dog.
This bed would be perfect for him. It can be Personlized. From the description:

Our dog bed covers are made to order from durable, machine washable, 100% pure cotton duck canvas. Owners with dogs who like to chew will appreciate our no zipper-pillow sham design. Stuff them with sleeping pillows, memory foam or even an old dog bed whose cover has long since bit the dust.

This XXL (50x57) listing includes the personalization fee of $5. If you do not want personalization, please see the XXL listing which has NO PERSONALIZATION in the title!

One name up to seven letters (military font, all caps as shown, each letter measures about two inches) or one stencil saying (in fonts as shown, measure about 11 inches across) is done with non-toxic black or white fabric ink by hand. Feel free to choose one image as shown if preferred.

When you checkout, please put your fabric color preference along with your personalization request in the comments section to seller. Or feel free to email us. If an image is not specified you will receive text only. If black or white ink is not specified we will choose.

Duck canvas is one of the toughest fabrics available but not indestructible to a dog that can chew a rawhide bone at ease! If you have a pet that likes to play with or chew on bedding, only allow them to have it when you are around to teach otherwise. Dogs are smart! Positive consistent training=problem solved.

I like personalized items.


What would your get your dog?

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Thursday Three

I thought you might be wondering what I thought about three items on Etsy. So I will tell you.

OK I have to admit lately I am loving the geometric necklaces. Loving. Today I thought about three of them.
One is the Triangles in a trapezoid necklace. can you believe it is hand embroidered? I like this seller's shop because it has great items- like an embroidered map of the USA made into a necklace. Crazy awesome.

http://www.penelopereichley.wordpress.com she has a blog (love blogs). She is named Penelope which makes her even cooler. Plus once she made a treasury with my item in it. Not only was it on the front page, but the item sold. I felt pretty honored because she is an indie artist. Not only does she use mostly recycled materials, she is also a member of the etsy free spirits team. I have always wanted to be a little more indie than I am. Just like how I wish I was a vegetarian. She even has vegan options in her jewelry. I love that!

also- I found a coupon for free shipping on her blog. you should follow her blog.

Another Hand Embroidered Necklace maker is Spinthread. She is originally from Cuba and now lives in Boulder Colorado.
Contact Info
http://twitter.com/spinthread
http://flickr.com/photos/spinthread
htpp://maranon.tumblr.com

Well Spinthread is pretty much famous, since she was the featured seller on Etsy. I remember reading the interview because she had a picture of herself with awesome and large hair. Should I admit I read the interview because of the way she looked? Well I just did. My friend Paula has big hair too, and I feel like people with big hair sort of buzz with life.

I hope she is getting her wish of having babies. I love babies. Maybe I can make her a blanket someday. Check out her beautiful necklace in some of my favorite etsy colors- blue and yellow:
Dodecahedron Cloud. awesome title. never would have thought of it.

Lastly I thought of an artist that makes geometric jewelry in- polymer clay. Her shop name is NoMilkToday. and I had one of her items in my last Front page treasury so I think she is magic a little bit. Her Dolphin Pattern necklace is adorable. I love it.
Another reason she is awesome- she lives in Athens, Greece. One of the places I went on my honeymoon. and it was blasted hot but I liked it anyway. She says using clay reminds her of collecting things to work with in her childhood.

What have you been thinking about on Etsy?

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Twitter

This Pillow is from Craftsquatch . It rocks.

A lot of people use twitter to promote their etsy shops. You might ask yourself: What does Janae think about the pros and cons of twitter? You might not. Either way I'm going to talk about them. because I can.
I'm happy I joined twitter. I finally know what the fail whale is. At first I just blocked everyone who tried to follow me because I didn't know who they were. Then I realized that the point is to meet new people.
sorry everyone I blocked...I wonder if there is a way to unblock people...

Here is a list of some pros and cons I've experienced

PRO: there are a lot of funny people on twitter. it's fun to read what people are up to.

PRO: One of the positives I've noticed is how soon you find people with common interests. If I had a question about something on etsy I could just write it in my status and within minutes have an answer.

PRO: I've made some great friends. My twitter bff is great and people have helped me promote my shop a lot. It makes me smile.

PRO: I've gotten more views in my shop. More views= more sales. I've felt really blessed about my little shop and how it's doing.

PRO: I've been part of some great teams. I feel like Twitter really has helped me meet people that let me on the teams. Really I don't feel worthy to actually be on the teams because the other shops on these teams are AMAZING! like die amazing. I am so unworthy.

CON- forum links.
In any public forum you hear about people who are unhappy. I never realized how much complaining happens in the etsy forums, and it is on twitter too. I know everyone has bad days sometimes but it can be draining. I'm glad the forums changed formats.

CON: the treasury team that said no thanks.
sometimes people other than me realize I'm not really worthy of their treasury team, lol.
I was also super bummed when I didn't get on a treasury team some of my friends on twitter were on. They kept tweeting about it non stop and I felt bad that I wasn't on it. It took me a while to get over myself and be excited for them. There is enough success for everyone.
Focus Focus Focus!

CON: Whining.
OK maybe I'm guilty of this too, but I see a lot of whining on twitter. One of the teams I was on had some negative press when members were complaining on twitter. They were saying some people were favorites on etsy. Those favorites were also on twitter, and responded. Some people left the team. I was so sad both for the people who left and the people who felt like they were invisible to etsy. Suddenly harmless complaining became a problem. I watched the drama unfold on twitter- it was mesmerizing. Maybe it's bad that I like watching the drama- I figure it's harmless and as long as it doesn't distract me from what I want to accomplish it's fun to read. Sometimes I want to complain too! Like when my kids color all over the house or I have a headache for a month that won't go away. That's part of life- we all need to vent a little.

PRO: Twitter is up all night.
I love some of my twitter friends. When all of my friends here are asleep and I want to chat with someone twitter is there. When I had breastfeeding questions with Mark twitter was there at three in the morning.

PRO: Justin Bieber is always a trending topic.
oh wait- maybe this isn't a pro. I giggle a little when people make fun of his hair or him. The kid owns twitter! You can't mess with that.

CON: Spam messages.
it's really fast to put an @ sign before your name. start talking about ipads and you will realize how many phony people use twitter. Ten million billion people will announce that if you click to their site you can win an ipad! Boo. still no ipad here.

Pro:
It turns out twitter is one of the best ways to get a hold of me when I leave my phone in New Jersey and you want to go out to dinner with your friends.

What have you experienced?

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Thrilling!

I was featured on the Etsy front page.
thanks so much GrayWorksDesign for including me in your great treasury!

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Thursday Three

So I don't know if you know this but I love lemon bars. I blogged about it HERE.

Then I decided to make a print about how much I love lemon bars.

This week I was thinking about food a lot because I've been trying to eat healthier.
Also think about the phrase "when life gives you lemons..." and all sorts of things could come at the end. For example when Danielle painted all over the bathroom and the hallway floor and the floor in Mark's room and the wall and the bed and the bedding and the toys I decided to make it positive and move all the toys and fun things to the freezing cold basement. Today Danielle was a darling! And she played outside in the snow. Well really it's more like ice but that's like lemonade right? Now just imagine if I had walked away and drank some hot chocolate and then come back upstairs to an immaculate room.
That would be lemon bars.
Lemon Bars make everything better.
Lemon bars are so good.
Here are three etsy items that make me think of them:

Fresh Meyer Lemons from HoneyandJam Photos.
Her name is Hannah Queen.
She has rustic and beautiful pictures of food.
She is from Georgia.
I think I know her future best friend and it is my sister in law
Brooke.


Well Honestly I don't drink but take a look at this print!
As Lisa Barbero so aptly puts it
"Lemonade, schmemonade. I like this idea better."
Her etsy shop is adorable. Maybe that's not the best description but I have a crush on it.

Third Item: Lemon Bars

You can buy lemon bars on Etsy. How awesome is that.
Baby Cakes Bakery shop had some Lemon Bars that looked good.
I think I would eat them.
their Motto: ~Where you can have your cake and eat it too!~

because seriously who wants cake they can't eat?

What have you been thinking about this Thursday?

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Front Page Treasury!

I curated a front page treasury today! I feel like I make a million bazillion treasuries and I am thrilled when I am lucky enough to curate a front page. I actually made the treasury around some items from my favorites. I felt like it was a break- sometimes I feel like I am thinking so hard about making a great treasury that it comes out all wrong, or isn't really "me". I'm still not sure if I should just be trying to making ones etsy will love but every now and then I like to make a more laid back treasury. so I did. My sister in law's sister was in it- her shop is MissTessCostume. I wonder if she even knows.
I am so honored that I get to curate a front page. there are so many talented curators I know and most of the time I feel unworthy of what other creative minds think of. Thanks Etsy!

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New In the Shop: The Twin Sized Throw

The first time people told me they wished I made blankets big enough for adults I didn't really think about it. Mainly because minky is so expensive and the satin binding would cost 14 dollars itself. Just for binding. It does feel nice when people say they like what I make though.
Then Mark was born. I made him several blankets. As a matter of fact I didn't buy him any blankets- because why would I buy my baby blankets when I sell baby items? He had quite a few cuddly blankets. Since I was breastfeeding John would bring me Mark with a cuddly blanket and sometimes Mark would leave his cuddly blanket in my bed. I was always happy cuddling with his blanket. As a matter of fact I like to have one of my arms under the pillow but I don't like it being cold so it was nice to have a blanket over it.
Then I decided to make Danielle a cuddly blanket for her twin sized bed. The only problem turned out to be that I wanted to take her cuddly blanket from her. I would sit downstairs with her on the couch and "borrow" her blanket.
Finally I've decided maybe I could carry them in the shop. It's a little experiment. The upside- if it fails, I have some of the best cuddle blankets in the world.

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