Get your morning cup here...

Well, my big news is that we are expecting another little babe to be joining our family in a few months.

I am thrilled!

Of course, it also means I've changed some of my normal daily routines

like...

Decaf is still on the menu, but you know - it's just not quite the same...

But for those of you out there that still can (and love to) indulge in the lovely dark brew,

here is a collection of some intresting coffee related items.

I love personalization, and unique gift ideas

so this one really caught my eye:

from Sycamore Hill

She offers an amazing selection of witty and fun hand-stamped silverware, and offers custom orders too.

Just too awesome!

And then these mugs...

Personalized mug options abound - but these ones from Twisted River Clay are really special.

I love the unique wood grain design, sweet hand-carved initals, and lovely earthy colors.

Finally, this just made me laugh out loud - and I love that anytime:

Book Tag from IM Girl

So enjoy your morning cup, and have a fantastic weekend!

Resin Artist Feature: Resign

This week's interview is with Jennifer Atkinson, the amazing talent behind Resign on Etsy. Her use of simple lines infused with a mix of crisp and vibrant colors makes her creations simply stunning.

Her most popluar items are her series of Twiggy, Pippi, and Organic bangles. And it's easy to see why - how delicious are these?

Pippi Bangle

Twiggy Bangle

We all see lots of jewelry, so one of the things that struck me right away was Jennifer's gorgeous and unique creations for the home, like this bowl from her Mezzo collection:

Can't you just imagine eating your Rocky Road from this little beauty?

These lovely bowls will make even your morning instant oatmeal look like a gourmet treat...

Mezzo Collection

If a bangle or bowl is just a little too large, you can still have your own Resign artwork in the form of an eye-catching, yet perfectly practical keyring:

Mod Keyring



There are lots of colors to choose from...

On to the interview...


Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live? What is your favorite thing about where you live? Are you married? Children? Pets?
A: I'm an Aussie currently expatriated to Tucson, Arizona with my husband 2 children and 2 dogs. We've been in the US for just over 4 years now. Having spent most of our time in Tucson, we are about to leave the desert behind and relocate to Milwaukee for a taste of the cold! My favourite thing about Tucson...definitely not the summer...probably the sunsets.

Q: How did you get started working with resin?
A: I've always loved the look and feel of hand cast resin but upon moving to the States I couldn't find anything like the pieces I desired so I decided to try to make them myself. I messed around for a little while but didn't take it to the next level until my daughter went back to Australia for school last year. I needed something to occupy my days so I wouldn't miss her so much, so I did a bit more experimenting and then stumbled across etsy, which seemed like the perfect way to test the water to see if anyone would actually part with their hard earned cash for one of my pieces.

Q: Any advice you would like to share with those just learning the art of resin?
A: Be patient, be prepared to make mistakes (so you can learn from them) and have fun. You are only limited by your imagination, the colours are endless and so are your designs. Keep it simple to start with and experiment more as you become more confident and you'll have a lot of fun. I still have a long way to go!

Q: Is there anything in particular that inspires you?
A: I find inspiration for colours all around me, others I just make up as I go. As far as designs go, I start with a lump of clay and mould it until I come up with something that I think might work...some of them do, some of them don't!

Q: What is your favorite item in your shop right now? And why?
A: My favourite item in my shop right now...hmm...I've been loving the Organic Bangles in black, white and silver glitter since I made them. I really like the irregular yet smooth lines of the Organic Bangles, there's just something about them that appeals to me, but my Twiggy Bangles are by far the best sellers.

Organic Bangle

Q: Is there another artistic medium that you would love to try?
A: In recent months I've been thinking about trying some sort of earthenware or other clay medium. I would continue along the same lines as I am now, with irregular organic forms all completely handmade, but at this stage I don't have any plans to pursue it.

Q: How long have you had your Etsy shop and what made you decide to open it?
A: I opened my etsy shop in March last year. I found the website by accident when I was researching resin and was impressed with how professional it was and the high quality of the merchandise. I decided to open a shop as it was a financially risk free way to reach a potentially huge customer base. Nothing ventured nothing gained, so after I figured out how to set up my shop (which was a learning experience in itself...I'm a bit of a computer dunce), I listed my first pieces and within a couple of weeks had my very first sale. My presence on etsy has also led to several wholesale opportunities and features on great blogs such as this one!

Q: Do you have any goals for this year you would like to share, relating to your art or your business?
A: My long term goal for this year is to start my own website, but in the short term I want to increase my homewares range and make more pieces with handmade resin beads. There are so many pieces I have in mind, I just have to find the time to produce them all. The actual casting of my pieces is quick and easy but the sanding is time consuming and quite tedious after a while. Of course I would like to increase sales as well!


Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing your inspirations, advice, and a peek into your creative world. It was a pleasure getting to know you a little better, and we can't wait to see what you come up with next!

You can find Jennifer's resin art available for purchase at her online shop Resign.

Some more of my favorite pieces...

Twiggy Bangles





Mezzo Bowl

Chunky Bangle in Tortoiseshell

Mod Keyring

A Pocket Full of Monsters...

Oh boy, I snagged a Treasury on Etsy this morning!

Take a look at these fun creations from some talented Etsy artists:

I've got a certain fondness for bright colors and google eyes, can you tell?

Best Tip for Staying Organized and Getting Things Done!

I was writing out my morning lists and felt compelled to share this, my most favorite and useful tip for moms, especially the moms nurturing not only their children, but a fledgling business as well.

• Use two notebooks, one for your home/family list and one for your business/craft list.


• Each morning, or the night before, in each book list 8 things you wish to accomplish during the day.


• Put a time limit on each item (i.e., "fold laundry - 20 min.").


• Get a timer and use it for each task. If little ones interrupt, that's ok. Stop the timer as many times as you need to.


• When the timer stops, that's it, you're done - walk away.

Seriously, this tip has been the best thing in restoring sanity to my day, that is, when I use it. The reasons I think it works so well is that I have a plan and direction for my day. Before, I felt that I had so much to do, that I couldn't even get started and by the end of the day found I had done almost nothing. Using the timer method, you may not finish the whole job, but you've made forward progress and you can cross something off your list for that day. It makes you feel accomplished and eager to tackle the next thing.

For me, I can get so distracted on the computer that "just a minute" turns into 2 hours. Hours where I may or may not have accomplished much, but the kids were getting bored, stir-crazy, and needing attention. Using a timer for this purpose keeps us all balanced and happy.

I try to alternate tasks from my "home list" and "work list", and stopping in between just to play with the kids and give them some undivided attention. I kind of use the same method, not with a timer, but just watching the clock, and make sure I spend at least 15 minutes just playing or reading. Sometimes you've got so much to do, you feel like you can't possibly stop to play trains, but really, you can. 15 minutes is a short time really, (you can clean the bathroom when you're done - really, it will still be there), and it means everything to your children. For my kids, they are then quite happy to continue playing by themselves while I go get something else done.

Don't worry if you don't get everything on your list done that day, you can re-add it tomorrow. Yes, as mothers we have a lot to do to care for our families and homes. But don't let it frazzle you to insanity (like I've gotten now and then). Be balanced, and productive, but most of all - have fun with your kids and be happy!

This life-saving tip came from The Pretty Peacock. Please take the time to read her whole post on Mommy-ing and Etsy-ing, it is full of tips and inspiration for the crafty mama. And check out her shop, she has a beautiful selection of personalized sterling silver jewelry. Here is one of my favorites: