Top 5 Finds - I Need Therapy! (Spa Therapy)

After a long and hard week of knitting I am feeling the need for a little spa therapy. Anna and I have been a little frantic and frankly our hands are a little sore. So this Friday we are showing off some items that would make for a great spa day! Relax and enjoy!

1. I think most of us this time of year could give our hands a little extra TLC. This great product by Relaxationworks is just the ticket to fix those winter hands!

Hurry over to her site for the moving sale!!! There are some great deals to be had!

2. PlanetK provides a great way to ease our tired and achy souls. This relaxation gift set seems like a great way to end a very hard day!

This set comes with a rice pack scented with lavender and can be heated in the microwave to soothe tired, achy muscles. The smaller buckwheat pack can be kept in the freezer to relax tired eyes, relieve a headache or fever, or comfort minor bumps and bruises. The smallest of the three pouches contains three individually packaged decaffeinated herbal tea bags and can be refilled for traveling.

3.Of course with warmer weather on the horizon (or so we hope!), you must take care of your feet! This product is just the ticket from Tropicalbomb! A loofah on one side and soap on the other.

How brilliant is this little product. The soap is a creamy goatsmilk fragranced with the fabulous smell of plumeria, yummmmmm. So get those feet in shape and smell great!

4. After a crazy week, this soap sounded like the perfect way to relax! Made by CrowleyManor .This soap is made from Chamomille and Cedarwood. It just sounds so soothing to your skin. Detoxify and cleanse your skin with a relaxing, soothing blend. Helps you to repair skin irritations.

5. What is a spa day without a little mud? Check out the Dead Sea Mineral Mud Mask!

Made by Sun Kissed Bud , this mineral-rich Mud Mask is refined directly from The Dead Sea. It soothes and conditions your skin, It will purify and replenish your skin's natural moisture. With so many beneficial elements, how can you not want to give this a try?

We found sooooo many great products out there! I had a really great time checking everything out. I can see another spa feature in the future! Cheers and have a great weekend!!

Hats Off to Iowa!

Today our hats are being shipped out to Lori Nordstrom! Just had to show them off before they go!
Some have never before been seen on Etsy. Take a peek at the creations that have kept us busy.

This fuchsia hat knit by Katie is so cute, this picture doesn't do it justice because the floppy ears aren't showing. This white hat is one of my favorites, so simple but so sweet.

What a great hat for a cool little dude the color is so rich and lovely (can I say that about a boy's hat?), made of pima cotton - so soft. This was yarn we found at City Knitting last week!

The body of this blue beanie is made up of 100% organic cotton , the black stripe is merino wool. So cute on a little one. Katie did a great job on this 100% bamboo hat. We both love this color, it works well for boys - a fun contrast color for all the blue and red that little guys tend to wear. I love the hat for baby girls too, when I knit my little girl her newborn hat I did green to coordinate with all the pink and purple.This linen blend hat was so fun to knit, I am pleased with how it turned out! Very feminine and great for warmer weather!

I have to give Katie so much credit, she has worked very hard knitting and communicating with Lori. I just adore her and appreciate her leadership and organization with this project.

Girls Night Out on the City (Knitting)

Katie and I finally were able to go check out a new (to us) yarn shop. With busy family schedules, snow days and sick children, it has been a challenge to find time to go exploring new shops. It was well worth wait. We went to City Knitting. What a fun place. Here's a look at what we found. But before I can start on this I should finish my linen hat - I am off to knit!

**** While Anna is off knitting with all our new stash, I just wanted to add a couple of things about why this was a great trip! I LOVED the shop. First of all I love that the yarn was set up to find by weight! That just made things soooooooo much easier to find. We also happened to be there on knit night and there was a great group of folks. All ages and men, and women. I love that!

They had lots of finished projects to look at and to get some ideas for. There was lots of project you find on Knitty. It is great to see some projects actually knit up and you can see them in person! They also offer lots of great classes.

All in all it was a great night. I am very excited to dig into what we found and to let the creativity flow! I also discovered that I am on a red kick right now, NOT to sure what that is all about. I will say it makes for some interesting color combos right now!

~Cheers (Katie)

Top Five - Fun Kitchen Finds!

Happy Friday! This week we have found some fantastic finds for things around your home! If home is where the heart is , then why not feed it some love?? Here are some of our finds this week!

1.This first find will make any table scream style! From 12gypsies on etsy this placemat is super cute!

2.This is one of my fav. finds! I just want to scoop a big bowl of ice cream into these bowls! These would put a huge smile on my face if they were in my kitchen cupbord!( Hint to the hubby!)

Handmade by JDWolfePottery This Etsy shop is just beautiful!

3. Pot holders are not something that really pay attention to, however these are very striking!

Made by Rosesnhearts with a cute fabric and contructed to take on everyday life! These are to pretty to be ordinary pot holders! They would look great on the table! This shop has lots of fun items to choose from!

4. This is one BEAUTIFUL shop! How fun to choose 3 kitchen towels from PataPri on Etsy.

All her towels are designed, hand silkscreen printed, and sewn by her . The towels are 100 % white linen unless stated otherwise. Also each print is a limited design, so get them while they are hot!!!

5. We came across this and thought it would be perfect sitting on your kitchen table or window!

This idea is just awesome! Created by Dandee Designs, Spring in a can is the perfect way to add a little color to the winters blahs! This do it yourself kit includes 1 can gussied up with yummy chocolate burlap and hemp twine, soil, seeds, and care instructions. Fun for you and the kids!

Thanks so much for checking out this weeks addition of Top 5 Fridays! Have a great weekend!

I Am Coming Clean....

I am a fan of ANTM! I really love the show and I am so excited to watch this season! Of course, this first episode was less fashion and more of finding out who is in and who was out. I love that they are in New York for this season, the fashion can only be amazing! It is so fun to see what they wear, the photo shoots and how they work the runway!

So all you other closet model watchers, it is okay. Come clean, admit you love the show! You know Miss J makes you laugh (you wish you could have that hair!) and all that super cheesy dialog is just what you need on a Wed. night!

An Exciting Opportunity

Anna and I are going to embark on a new adventure. A wonderful photographer is giving us a fantastic opprotunity! Lori is a talented photographer who is doing a promo event for her new studio. Our hats are going to be promoted and photographed by a pro! She is very talented and her work is going to help us out sooooo very much!! We are going to get some amazing photos that are going to make amazing promo material! Not only is she a photographer, but she is a public speaker as well. Her web site is http://www.nordstromphoto.com/ . Please check her out!

We will keep you posted as things continue to move forward.

Top 5 Friday - The Purse Edition

Anna and I have been having so much fun making these top 5 lists. In fact, it is a little to much fun!!! We have decided to theme our weekly list to help keep us focused. This week Anna has been doing a little purse shopping and with spring (hopefully) knocking at winters door, we have been thinking about updating those winter accessories. Without further ado we give you our top 5 favorite accessories in which to keep all your necessities in!



1. I know that Anna has been doing lots of purse shopping, but I am in LOVE with this purse by Carissa Black!!

Great colors, fun style for the warm weather, and best of all it looks like it could carry all of my mom items!! I think I really DO covet this bag.....yup, the drool has made it official! Oh boy (sigh).





2. Anna has just spotted this tote bag/diaper bag. She is trying to find color (she is a purple fan!) and function. She also happens to be a HUGE Amy Butler fan. This bag was made by Glaston Totes , found on Etsy (of course)








3. I was looking for a cute leather bag. I know, I know, I prefer not to eat animals, but I do from time to time accessorize with them. I found this from cha cha handbags . The soft leather and great design looks just so delicious! It is truly a beautiful handbag!

4. At this currant stage of my life, a clutch is not so practical. I am in preschool/toddler world for the most part. However, should the day come when more glamorous moments arrive this clutch by ao3designs is pretty cute.

Do you see the purple sneaking back in? I think this clutch is very fun and is perfect for spring/summer. Now, I just need to come up some excuse to pick this little number up!



5. Here is ANOTHER Amy Butler bag. I know you are in shock. This is from LadybugSF and I love the colors. Green my all time favorite color and this bag has such a cool print!






We have found sooooooo many cute bags and we would urge you to check out these other amazing designs that we have found on our search! appetite, peppermintsky, thefunkybaglady, jillyd bags, RKEMdesigns, theorangebicycle



Thanks so much everyone! Have a great weekend. Cheers!!

Market Tote

I just ordered the yarn for my Market Tote! I am so excited to see it! The yarn is from Fiesta Yarns, it is the Socorro line. The colorways are amazing, it is so difficult to choose which one! I did fall in love with Poppies, it is my favorite flower, but the colors are rich and fun perfect for a market tote!

It will be a few weeks before it arrives, but that's okay - there will be plenty of time to knit before the local Farmer's Markets are open.

Here's a picture of Katie's market tote she knitted this past fall.

My 3 Valentines

My husband and I just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary (sorry no pictures, we weren't married during the digital days). Because we just had anniversary (Feb 7), we don't put much emphasis on Valentine's Day.

We do celebrate the day with our three kids. As parents we want to lavish our kids with love. Even though we get to show our kids everyday we love them, it's fun to have a day dedicated to it. If you've never heard of The Five Love Languages check this book out by Dr. Gary Chapman. He has several books including one specific to children and teenagers. I think we've identified 2 out of three's love languages. Carter loves presents - giving and receiving, his love language is gifts. Calla's love language is time. Spending time with her shows she is special. We don't know Joely's yet, it will be fun discovering her love language as she grows older.

The dilemma for me as a parent is how to be fair but still show each child individually they are loved in their personal love language. Luckily, it doesn't matter the cost of the gift. Carter is happy with anything (for now). So buying each kid a little something can fit the budget. And time for Calla can be spent with the whole family and still make her feel valued. This year she and I are going out to get our hair done (surprise, the stylist was totally free that night!), so chatting in the car will be time well spent. Joely will get one on one that day with mom because her big sibs are in school all day.

Hope you all enjoy your Valentine's Day too!

Tag! We are it (for now)

So the lovely Miss Sarah the Crafty Mama has tagged us! That crazy and talented lady! To protect Anna's secret identity I will answer the questions. So we will keep it rolling....Here are the rules (darn you rules, I just want to break you!!!)

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here we go....

1. I am a movie FREAK, sometimes a little tooooo passionate about them. I love indie films and I also have a soft spot for the coming of age movies.

2. I JUST got my nose pierced 2 days ago and I love it!

3. I yearn to be a rock star, but I cannot carry a single tune or play guitar.

4. I love stand up comedy - Laughing is cathartic!

5. My fav. color is green.

6. I have been working on a quilt for like 10 yrs. now. Yikes!!!

7. I have a goal to teach both my sons to knit and/or sew. We will see.....

Okay so here are the Significant 7 that are being tagged. Please don't kill us! thanks!

1. Pattern of life

2.Stormy Designs

3.Nahia Creations

4. Simply Wired Designs

5. A Keeper's Jackpot

6. This Mom's Life

7. Aliciamae

Top 5 Fridays!!

Here are this weeks top 5 finds! Enjoy

1. These mugs are awesome for V-Day! Made by hand from Into The Fire on Etsy!

Need a unique gift? Want to let someone know how you are feeling that morning? This set of mugs is toooo fun!

2. I am soooo jealous of quilters. This gorgous quilt is amazing in color and design! Made by Paco and Lupe on Etsy.

My husband and I were married on Maui, and the colors and feel remind of paradise!! How could you not be happy with this on your bed?

3. Feeling the need to wake up the senses?? Check this out from Dreamseeds. Chai and Cream Soap sounds oh sooooo yummy to me!

This soap is just a taste of the wonderful products I found on her Hyena Cart site. Right now I am really on a Chai kick, so this hits the spot! Can you smell the goodness???

4. This next fav. is from Simply Wired. I love her creations!! I am really loving the color combo on these earrings!

There is so much that she does that I just love, but for some reason (besides the fact they are sooo pretty) I am just attracted to these earrings! They remind me of walking in New Mexico. (sigh*) Now I really want to take a trip! I might just have to settle for the earrings!

5. Here is something for the whole family! A local family started hand crafting games that they were learning about during home school. From there ancientgamecupboard was born!!

Their games are fun and beautiful! I just love their creativity and that they offer something truly unique and fun for families!! The games they offer are from around the world. We are showing the game Senet , An Ancient Egyptian Board Game. How do you play? The dice sticks are thrown to get each piece onto and moving along the board in an 'S' pattern. The painted squares indicate either a safe place in which you cannot get captured, or one in which something bad happens to your piece. The first player to get all of their pieces on the board and back off again wins.

I am trying to patiently wait for the hubbies B-Day!!!

That wraps up our top 5 for this Friday!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

A long time ago, in a small town far, far away, a young maiden was asked by a kind princess to make some new beautiful pillow covers. The princess had bought Amy Butler fabric and with a gleam in her eye said not to worry when it was to be done.......

Okay, so I (the maiden) was supposed to make my beautiful friend (Anna) some pillow covers, like MONTHS ago!!! All I can say is that I am such a bad friend. But low and behold I have completed my mission and here are the pillows.....

Being that Anna is a most compassionate person, I hope that she finds it in her heart NOT to throw me in the Iron Maiden (insert Bill and Ted playing air guitar here!). Michigan has been under such awful weather that we have found it hard to get together. I told her they were done, but she has not seen them yet. So here you are my fair princess..........

I hope the pillows are most excellent!

Why not knit????

Why do we love to knit????? The question is more why NOT knit! I have found joy and a wonderful way to be creative. My grandmother, mother,cousin, friends and so many others share this wonderful art. It is amazing the bond that can form with knitters. Sharing patterns, techniques, yarns, and fellowship! How cool is that!

How one resist running their fingers though textures such as alpaca, cashmere, bamboo, silk, merino wool, and so much more! The colors that abound these yarns are a dizzying wonder to behold.

The simple idea of turning a fiber into something like a sweater, hat, mittens, purse, and hundreds of other items is amazing to me. You can just let your imagination soar. I also love the idea that you can ALWAYS keep learning something new. You learn from mistakes, you learn by trying something new or taking a class on a new technique.



Why am I sitting here on the computer??? It's knittin' time!

Friday's Favorite 5 for February First

Anna and I are starting a new weekly project. Throughout the week we are picking 5 items that we have found that we want to show off. We thought it would be fun to share our treasures that we have found during the week. So without further ado we offer up our top 5 for the week..... ( please note these are not in any particular order)


1. Colorful Handmade Paper Sheets with Flower Petals, Recycled Junk Mail by recycled ideas

How pretty is this paper??!! Anna found this paper this week as we are looking for some recycled paper products for some packaging ideas for the store. I just love the colors and textures! Find this item at http://www.recycledideas.etsy.com/ along with more fantastic paper items!

2. Carved Beads and Wood Row Counter by Angel Dancer DelightsThis one if for the knitters out there! How cute AND handy is this row counter! I just love the colors and the usefulness of this tool! One strand of beads is designated as your 1-9 count. As you are working through your rows you will move the circle made from elastic and seed beads over the large beads on your first strand. When you get to row 10 you will transfer the beads you have designated for rows 1-9 back to the other side of the counter and move a bead from your other strand through the row counter. As you get to row 11 you will move a bead from your first strand through, designated 11. You will continue in this pattern with one row designated as 1-9 and the other as your multiple of 10. This row counter will count up to 99 rows. You can find this fun counter at http://www.angeldncr82.etsy.com/ There are lots of colors to choose from!

3. Who loves coffee??!!! Check out Uber Geek Coffee Rosters on hyena cart!

Their shop just opened this week and wow am I excited!!! They roast their own coffee beans, and ship it as fresh as possible to you! With flavors like Sumatra Blue Batak Peaberry- Light French Roast and Guatemalan Antigua Sereno SHG/EP-Vienna Roast, how can you say no? They will grind the beans for you or have them ship the whole beans. There is also an organic blend as well. Can you smell the goodness????

http://hyenacart.com/ubergeekcoffee/index.php



4. Flutter is a clothing line made here in Grand Rapids! I think this jacket is too cute! This is the Sadie jacket!

How cute is this houdstooth print!?? You can find flutter clothing at http://www.flutterfashion.com/ and on http://www.flutterfashion.etsy.com/.

5. This business card holder by Raintown Originals makes me smile!

Not only would this be cute for business cards, but all those "punch" cards that seem to collect in your bag! Check out her creations at http://hyenacart.com/RaintownOriginals/

Thanks so much everyone! Hope you enjoyed our favorite 5 this friday. Be sure to check back next week for another round of fun finds!!!