GIVEAWAY - Afra Gorgeous Arm Warmers!

CLOSED- WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED TODAY!

Afra is an art and craft atelier in İstanbul made up of two close friends- Aslı and Azra.

They love the handmade life and eclectic things. Afra designs are mostly inspired by different color and texture combinations. Their work is beautiful, warm and wonderful!

We are so lucky to have a wonderful piece of Asli and Azra's amazing work for our giveaway!


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive Afra's amazing brown chic arm warmers!







HOW TO WIN:

Visit Afra and leave a comment below letting Asli and Azra know which item is your favorite.

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, December 6th! CLOSED

Recycled Christmas Countdown or saving your digits the old fashioned way


This is the 4th part of my weekly series on some recycled and repurposed Christmas gift ideas- things that are easy enough to make fairly quickly, but still look like you put the proper time and thought into them.

I don't know anyone's phone number anymore because they are all stored in my cellphone and when I forget to charge it

(all the time)

I am left wishing I had my memory back

(from before I lost it being a mom)

or that I had a wonderful old rolodex!

You will need: a can (cut out both ends- you can't do this with all cans these days, but there are still some out there), a magazine, index cards or cardboard and dividers (you can make these pretty easily, but I just happen to have some purple ones)


Step 1- Gather your supplies, cut both ends from your can and peel the label

Step 2- Find an interesting picture page in your magazine (the magazine can be new and part of the gift or you can recycle one of your old ones)

Step 3- Tightly roll it up and slide it into the can

Step 4- Trim your index cards to about 4" square (square just seems better somehow and it also stands up perfectly for some reason that I can't figure out)

Step 5- Slide your dividers and cards into the pages - instant modern, recycled rolodex!




Some simple wrap (Target giant lunch bag run through an inkjet) completes the gift!

Thankful Thursday or I will not whine, I will not whine, I will not whine

I thought instead of whining my way through the holidays, I would try something a little more positive and focus on things I am thankful for.

So do you guys want to hear something awesome?

Then you should probably go read another blog.

You are not going to believe what happened to me.

(just kidding... sort of)

Gratitude 1: A 2 Day local craft show last weekend that I have no idea why I signed up for (yes, I know I am dangling my participles and I also do know why I signed up, but I will take full responsibility for my own stupidity)

I was surrounded (on 2 of 3 sides) with buy/sell jewelry and yes, even though I befriended the very kind sellers of this junk, I totally knew it was buy/sell.

NOTE to buy/sell people at juried shows- EVERYONE knows you did not make your stuff when 1. You have 1000's of pieces with 1000's of different clasps, beads, settings, styles, etc and 2. You are selling necklaces for $10.00 that could not possibly be made for $10.00 (other than by six year old children in India)

(and oh yeah, also when you say that you "sell jewelry" because people who are not buy/sell do not say we "sell jewelry" - even though we try to - we say we "make jewelry")

And you make those of us who actually labor over our product look expensive and shows should be more careful - and they often aren't.

But, wait I am getting whiney, so let me say that I am actually very thankful that I did this show because now I am 100% certain I will never do another non-Indie show (and I've never done an Indie show, but they seem like more fun and no one is ripping Made In China stickers - unless they were the one in China actually making them - off the bottom of their stuff minutes before the show starts) again.

I am incredibly thankful that I did so poorly that I will never be tempted to do this again.

and that I got to meet this woman ---> (untouched photo I snapped as she was leaving and YES that is all her own hair)

who squealed when she saw my cork

(the kind of sound you would expect to hear if you punched a build-a-bear)

and of, course, I got her stylist's digits, because you know I just had to ask.

Gratitude 2: I was sick on Monday, but on Tuesday I was better. So I knew it was just a stomach thing and not the swine flu which I was convinced I had for a few hours there. Which, of course, is totally ridiculous because everyone who knows me knows I am like the last person to grab on to the latest fad. If I got swine flu now that would make me terribly in vogue, it's more likely that I'd have SARS.

Gratitude 3: I spent like 3 hours at Barnes and Noble trying to decide whether or not to purchase the new Stephen King.

(ie reading the first chapter while sipping spilled hot chocolate from my napkin - hey, it's a recession - and avoiding everything I was supposed to be doing ... like food shopping)

and I got to hear the best little quarrel I'd heard in a long time

(that I wasn't participating in)

Let me set the scene- they were an adorable twenty something couple- she had wide-set Bratz doll eyes and you just knew she would still look cute when she washed off all that eye make-up but you just couldn't hate her for it because she was just so damn adorable

and he kind of reminded me of that cute wannabe detective guy on the HBO series.

She was smacking the side of their table trying to get his attention.

"ANSWER ME"

She hit the table harder sending the Dean Koontz books he had been building into an elaborate pyramid crashing to the floor. "You spilled my Koontz," he whispered, calmly gathering the books and re-Jenga-ing them on top of each other. He looked sad. "Now, I've got dirty Koontz."

This sent my hot chocolate spewing and caused everyone to look at me.

"Sorry, asthma attack", I muttered, pounding my own chest.

"We are so broken up right now!" - she stomped off.

So, anyhoo, we have to be thankful for the little things (as Oprah says) and for some reason this little exchange (I did see them making out in the parking lot an hour later) somehow made me happy and had me thinking about young love and all the passion of it and then that made me a little bit sad and needing to see my own hubby.

So, I headed over to hubby's shop and he was wearing his 'crazy pilot from Mad Max' goggles and stopped dead in his tracks to say to me "damn, you look good"

(those goggles are a bit distorting)

and I thought, well, maybe old-love isn't so bad either ...

(of course, he burst my love-bubble by asking about the lines in the grocery store and about all the food I bought, which made me realize that I actually did have to hit the food store and not just the bookstore)

so I blew him a kiss and left him standing there with his saucer eyes and fraggle rock hair and went off to do my Thanksgiving duty.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and lots of amazing things to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Special - Wednesday thru Monday!

To thank all my wonderful customers and kick off the holiday season I am having a special in both my Etsy shops!

Holiday Weekend Special -

Order any Polarity locket from Wednesday, November 25th thru Monday, November 30th and receive a free lid set for the holiday season!

Leave a message in the comments to seller section of your order letting me know if you would like the Christmas or Hanukkah lid set!

Order any Uncorked necklace and receive a free wood holder for your test tube!




(but if you are one of those Black Friday die hards who needs to head to your local mall to get in the spirit- here's a little tip to make the day go faster.

When you drive to the mall, instead of wasting your time looking for a parking spot -drive right up to the mall entrance and when you see people coming out with an armload of gifts yell, "Hey! Would you like a ride to your car?" - this could prevent the endless circling looking for an empty spot.

Or if you are really pressed for time when they put their gifts in your car, you can just drive off without them. Shopping done.)

GIVEAWAY - Be Happy Now Calendar Cards! CLOSED

Winner chosen by random.org

Min: 1
Max: 287
Result: 4

is JennTRC- check out her beautiful blog!

Be Happy Now is the amazing shop of a wonderful artist in Jeruselum.

Jenny lives with her boyfriend and cat, Blueskii. Jenny says she has no routine in her creation process. She works spontaneously. Sometimes she thinks about content, but often just pick up one of her pencils and starts drawing.

Jenny is a happy artist and wants everyone else to Be Happy Now, too!


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive BeHappyNow's amazing little calendar cards for 2010 featuring 12 of Jenny's amazing illustrations!






HOW TO WIN:

Visit BeHappyNow and leave a comment below letting Jenny know which item is your favorite.

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, NOVEMBER 29th! CLOSED

Recycled Christmas Countdown Part III or what to do with those empty bottles

This is the third part of my weekly series on some recycled and repurposed Christmas gift ideas- things that are easy enough to make fairly quickly, but still look like you put the proper time and thought into them.

This is a modern take on the romantic cut flowers in a recycled glass bottle that we have all been doing forever.

You will need a bottle of something as a gift or an empty bottle you have on hand (wine, classic soda, some special something), a 3/4" galvanized split ring hanger (plumbing department), a 3/8" galvanized ceiling flange (plumbing or electrical department), 3/8 threaded pipe cut to size (store will cut), #12X1" screws.

These parts are actually pipe hanging gizmos and come in copper and galvanized steel and a mix and match assortment will look great.



This one is actually too easy for step by steps. The pieces all fit together neatly into an adorable little industrial hanger. They also come in different sizes for different size bottles and jars. You can fill an entire wall with these and it would look amazing!







Once again for some easy packaging grab a few of these larger size lunch bags (found at Target) that you can run through your inkjet with some clever wording.

It's Whining Wednesday or a real wine whine this time


The best thing about weekly whining is that when something disappointing happens I can pull out my little notebook and jot it down for my whining post

(not really, but if I actually did do this, I would write about way better stuff, because my memory is pretty much gone these days)

and then go back to being that glass half-full kind of girl that I know I really am down inside

(deep down inside)

Next week I am thinking it is time for Thankful Thursdays thru Christmas- 5 weeks of thankfulness can offset 47 weeks of whining, right?

Whine 1: This is an actual wine whine and even though it is a little lame, I have been on the lookout for one of these since I started whining because an actual wine whine, well you really can't ask for more than that, you know.

So anyhoo, the liquor store in our town has recently expanded into a liquor block (almost) - good to know at least one industry is thriving these days

and is all clean and shiny and new and I hadn't been in there since the grand opening, so I wandered in for some (cheap) white wine to make a chicken dish.

I plunked the bottle down on the counter and the counter girl who had been busy admiring the gigantic housefly tattoos on her very skinny arms in a bottle of white zinfandel muttered, "I'm gonna need to see some ID."

"Rad," I said.

(because when I'm happy, I sometimes talk like that annoying guy you hated in middle school)

The counter girl, sensing just a touch too much happiness in my 3 letter answer said, "Oh, I know you're old enough. It's for the computer". She slowly pecked my birth digits into the keyboard. "Because it can't see you."

(impressing me by knowing the cash register is not actually 'alive' and depressing me -just ever so slightly- that my carding days are way, way behind me, but mostly that this had just been pointed out to me by someone whose tats and tude made me want to roll up one of the newspapers on her counter and give her a swat)

But with the words, "that Cat- she wouldn't hurt a fly", ringing in my ears - I decided to let it go.

(plus I've been watching the Biography channel in my studio while I work these days and had seen Gandhi just that morning and felt inspired)

Now this wasn't a particularly interesting whine, but still a wine whine has to trump a regular whine any day plus I need to preserve this memory in case I ever run into horsefly girl again.

(like in a dark alley carrying a fly swatter)

Whine 2- I am noticing my vocabularly is getting very, very pathetic.

(and when I say pathetic I mean- small and repetitive and boring)

Back when I had a real job and was out in the real world with real people all day I could hold a fairly decent, smart and quick witted, conversation on some pretty involved subjects without sounding like a blabbering idiot.

But now that I work from home I am noticing my vocabularly has taken a step (or two, or maybe a couple football field lengths) backward.

Here are the things I find myself saying most often in no particular order:

1. Dammit!
2. You're fine
3. OK seriously
4. God I hate you
5. I can't believe that (insert name of item here) is on the front page
6. I seriously don't have time for this
7. That will be $50.00 - now get dressed and get out (just kidding)

(it's way more than $50.00)

Other than the word seriously which I am clever enough to use in multiple situations several times I day - I am pretty much a 3-4 letter word kind of girl now, which I am thinking makes me about grade two.

I need one of those word a day calendars and someone to require me to use those words in real life situations daily.

(like a vocabularly coach ... hmmm - this may be a new industry created especially for the work-at-home sector ... and remember to give me credit and cash, if you start doing this ... or, at least, free mentoring)

Using dictionary.com's word a day calendar flashcards, this is how my new and improved 'things I say most often list' might sound:

1. Exegesis = Exegesis!
2. Hoi Polloi = You're hoi polloi
3. Fungible = OK, fungible
4. Truculent = God, I hate truculent
5. Sycophant = I can't believe that sycophant is on the front page
(hey that one might still work once in a while)
6. Galump = I seriously don't have time for this galumping
7. Scuttlebutt = That will be scuttlebutt- now get dressed and get out (just kidding)

(it's way more than scuttlebutt)

Or I could just settle for my declining vocabularly and ability to talk to seven year olds and of course with my memory pretty much gone, I may have to.

Looking at the bright side (that half-full thing again, remember) a seven year old vocabularly sounds pretty youthful to me and I may never get carded (for real) again, but at least I still have my flashcards.

GIVEAWAY Sherry Truitt Twilight NEW MOON Earrings! CLOSED

AND THE WINNER IS: chosen by random.org Min:1 Max:396 Result: 117 = Fennofashion! Congrats and thank you to everyone who entered!

So, even though she has been famous since her earrings were selected by PEOPLE magazine for their Twilight edition last month, Sherry Truitt is still the same level-headed Jersey girl she has always been!

Sherry creates the most amazing jewelry pieces working with the most amazing materials!





Sherry loves the juxtaposition of mixing every day working objects like a spirit level, a magnet or a compass with sterling silver into pieces of jewelry you will absolutely treasure.

She embraces the Japanese concept of wabi sabi, the beauty of imperfection. (YES!)

It's what makes each handcrafted piece different from the next. Her work is stunningly original and totally unforgettable!


Sherry's amazingly clever and original Twilight pieces will give both Team Edward and Team Jacob something new to fight over!

And to celebrate the release of the 2nd installment of the Twilight series, New Moon, opening this Friday, Sherry is giving us the chance to win the most famous and sought after piece in her collection!

WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive her People magazine selected TWILIGHT EARRINGS!

Forks, Washington, "it rains on this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America" - home to Edward and Bella

Port Angeles, where the adventure begins ....

The maps are vintage and cut from different vintage atlases, preserved and copied to archival paper, therefore the colorways vary. They are set in sterling silver 15mm cup bezels, with hand forged sterling earwire and forever preserved in resin.





HOW TO WIN:

Visit SherryTruitt and leave a comment below letting Sherry know which item is your favorite or something you would like to see her create!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Friday, NOVEMBER 20nd - the night of the new Twilight movie premiere! CLOSED

Recycled Christmas Countdown Part II or start saving those coffee cans

This is the second part of my weekly series on some recycled and repurposed Christmas gift ideas- things that are easy enough to make fairly quickly, but still look like you put the proper time and thought into them.

This makes a great gift for the coffee fanatic on your list and you can make the same style clock for a tea lover, too- the tea tins are sometimes (often) better than the tea.

You will need a coffee can, coffee scoop, clock hardware, hanging hardware and a drill.

I cheated a bit because I already had these great magnetic hooks that I got at Staples (which I used for the bottom to hold the coffee scoop), but you could definitely screw an eyehook into the bottom of the can very easily- just start with a tiny drill hole.

1. Clean out the can- although leaving a little of that coffee smell in there could be a good thing

2. Drill (or drill and punch) a hole in the can for your clock gizmo (empty side of can on top)

(a word about clock gizmos- they are super fragile- so be careful- I immediate bent my second hand into something that resembles the state of Rhode Island, but since this gift is recycled and the recipient just happens to really like Rhode Island, not sure how I know this about him, it is ok ... probably)

3. Insert the gizmo through the back- you will probably need the directions to figure out the order of the little parts- and if you are like me and tend to toss them before you start- this step may take awhile

4. Screw eyehook into can bottom

5. Add hanging hardware to back of can (I suggest 2 sets of hardware - one top and one bottom, so when the person grabs for the coffee scoop they don't pull their clock off the wall)

6. I love packaging things in these larger size lunch bags (found at Target) that you can run through your inkjet with some clever wording.



I Know It's Veteran's Day but I'm gonna whine anyway...because it's Wednesday

This weekly whining may be getting old, but now that I am becoming more alert for things to whine about

they are everywhere


Whine 1 - I've talked before (I think) about wanting a new bike and my run ins with the 'twig man' - our local bike seller and mechanical guru who has 'classic' bicycles all over his front yard (ie patch of dirt in front of his house).

I finally got up my nerve to approach twig man again. I had questioned him once before about his bike prices- but he just kind of muttered, "What do you want to spend?" between spits of the twig he was chewing on which made me realize I never think in terms of how much I can spend.

(probably why I have no money)

Anyhoo, I've been eyeing a green one-

(I guess it had a make or model of something or other, but more importantly the green one would kind of match my new scarf pattern and I could kind of picture myself riding around on it.)

So, twig man breaks off a new piece of branch for our walk and we head over to his 'bicycle testing area' which is an empty parking lot right in the center of town that has been roped off, so people can't drive through it or park in it - yes, I live in a town that does stuff like this

and I am riding back and forth, but feel I need to take this little baby out on the open road so I head out of the 'bicycle testing area' and onto a back street.

Suddenly, I hear a car coming up behind me and for reasons I can't quite remember, I feel I need to get out of this car's way- probably because

1) it was going roughly 10MPH and
2) there was literally no other car for miles

I went up onto the curb.

(and when I say I went up onto the curb I mean I, the bike stayed on the road)

I have no idea what happened, but I couldn't get up over the curb. Aren't you supposed to be able to ride up over a curb? I mean, I know you're thinking of course not, but this was a little, bitty driveway curb that I am fairly certain I have seen 3 year olds tricycling over while I've sat in the bank drive up line.

I started wobbling, I thought, "OH NO this is it. I'm going over." And WHAM - I was on the ground.

I landed with full force on my right knee, elbow and both hands. Here are the thoughts I had in the order in which I had them:

* Holy crap, Cat!

* Holy crap that car is going to stop and check on me, aren't they?
How embarrassing- this is horrible!

* Holy crap where is the car? Oh - it turned before it even got to me.

* Holy crap did anyone see me?

* Holy crap my knee hurts. I don't know if I can get up.

* Holy crap did I rip my jeans?

* OK, I didn't rip my jeans. Thank God. These are the ones that fit me.

* OK, get up, get back on the bike and ride away like nothing happened.

* I want my mommy.




It was kind of like this -----> but without the actual race and the racing equipment and the racers chasing me



The bottom line is that twig man is now fixing up this bike for me- the crash may have done a little bit of damage and I still don't know how much it is going to cost me

(but like I said I don't think about things like this anyway)

Hubby, of course, asked why I wasn't wearing my helmet

(as if I was going to run around with helmet-hair for the rest of the day, for pete's sake)

of course, I don't have a helmet yet because I don't have a working bicycle yet

He said twig man should supply them to bicycle testers and he got kind of a far off look in his eyes when he said this - as if he was picturing a lawsuit payout where we win a collection of 'classic' bicycles and twig man's tasty maples.

I am remembering Sherry Truitt's post about a spill and her later triumph behind the handlebars, so I am hoping the same will be true for me when twig man gets my bike to me- in the meantime my knee still hurts but I am trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing

(hold me)

Whine 2- I'll keep this one short since if you are still awake after my bicycle whine you probably want to get out of here by now.

Hubby blew our chances for any more free food at Chipotles, like forever.

I love Chipotles. I know it's a chain and chain's are bad (usually), but I just can't help it.

(even though they do make this big deal about recycling those little baskets- that we would never throw out anyway and they allow everyone to toss the plastic silverware- what's up with the plastic silverware Chipotles?)

We sometimes go on Tuesday nights and if we get there very late the guy there gives me free food. And I say me because when we walk in, hubby heads to the napkin/condiment bar and gets our supplies

(I swear he is about 2 years away from sitting on a mall bench with two guys named Arthur and Harry and holding my handbag while I shop)

and then he grabs a table

(this is the way- he puts it- grabs a table- although there are usually 3 other people in the place and about 50 empty chairs)

so anyhoo, the guy there always gives me free chips and guac and last week hubby totally blew it because instead of grabbing a table he got in line with me and before the guy had a chance to give us any freebies George said

"what- no freebies?"

and the guy just gave us a blank stare and no guac and chips and then again this week 'no freebies'

which hubby claims is ok because he didn't feel comfortable with the guy giving me free stuff anyway

(as if we were going to owe this guy a very big favor and he would oneday come to collect on our 62 free guac and chips that had accumulated into the exact value of George's dirtbike)

so I am left forking over $3.99 for the guac and chips

(not that I think about such things)

and feeling irked that George couldn't have just grabbed us a table and let me keep on getting my freebies

(like forever)

or until I get sick of bringing home my dirty silverware.

GIVEAWAY - Gorgeous BONSPIEL Change Purse! CLOSED

AND THE WINNER IS MEG - who has a great Etsy shop, too!

Chosen by Random.Org True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 428 Result: 38

Ellen Box lives in Victoria on the west coast of Canada designing and sewing the most beautiful silkscreened bags and wallets in her amazing shop
Bonspiel
!

Her work is totally unique and amazingly well-crafted. Ellen makes everything herself and treasures the "holy crap, this is the best thing I ever made!" moment.

(looks like she has that moment ALOT)

She loves simplicity, clarity, texture, charm, cuteness, strangeness and complex color combinations.
Bonspiel
has the most beautiful and unique bags and wallets that you will just have to own!


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive a totally amazing Bonspiel bird change purse!



HOW TO WIN:

Visit BonspielCreation and leave a comment below letting Ellen know which item is your favorite or something you would like to see her create!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, NOVEMBER 15th! Good luck! CLOSED

Recycled Christmas Countdown or if we are going to eat this sugary stuff let's recycle the boxes

My plan is for a weekly post on some recycled and repurposed Christmas gift ideas- things that are easy enough to make fairly quickly, but still look like you put the proper time and thought into them.

Now I know we shouldn't be eating this stuff, but some of us do have a collection of these cereal boxes from overnight guests

(uhuh)

and I especially love the little mini assortment packs.



1. Glue the top flaps open. For stability you want to leave them on rather than rip them off- a glue stick would probably work just fine for this.

2. Using a razor knife or scissors cut a larger package (carnation instant breakfast packaging show here) open and glue the flaps back

3/4. Add little scrapbook doodads to the sides of your boxes- there are tons of variations here, so just use things that you have when possible.

These cereal boxes could also be made into little books and albums in this same way. Large cereal boxes also fit nicely into those plastic crates in your kids' rooms.


Mini Cereal Box Storage Unit (especially great gift when paired with one of the amazing Etsy finds below)


1. Hawaiian Coconut Bowl by Glazed Over
2. Favorite Plaid Shirt Print by LittleBranches
3. Coffee in Color Notecards by ThingsThatAreMade
4. Rice Cereal Upcycled Journal by IvyLaneDesigns.
5. Vintage Recycled Quilt Coasters by RikRak
6. ID Bracelet by Spoonerz
7. Fork Shirt by Xenotees

It's Whining Wednesday

So ... before I abandon another 'series' of posts after just one post

(and because this series is just so easy to write)

I think I should whine another Wednesday.

1st whine- Hubby got sick and blew off both our Halloween invites. He made an amazing recovery the very next day and I think his "24 hour (ie collapse on the bed and shiver) flu"

had more to do with his total lack of pop culture references and insistence that he has never heard of Kanye West or Taylor Swift and that I could be making the whole thing up so I would get to wobble around in heels and carry a soccer trophy

(well, that did sound like fun)

2nd whine - I hate this whole daylight savings time thing. I do like getting up in the morning when it is light out, although it has been pretty much cloudy here for a month so the only light is the compact fluorescents in the bathrooms

(btw- if you have one of those bathroom mirrors surrounded by light bulbs and you only screw in every other bulb you will have yourself some very flattering lighting and in fact will never need any anti-aging cream because you will have an anti-aging mirror, at least in my opinion- every couple years you can just unscrew another bulb)

I hate that it is dark out so early at night now ... and cold ... I hate that it is dark and cold so early. Because to me dark and cold means the day is over - grab a blanket, hunker down.

(and yes, I have been known to take down the phone number for the Snuggie ... every time it is on)

I don't get much done at night now and I really just want to drink hot liquids and read my library books. So, because my day ends earlier it needs to start earlier so I can squeeze everything in which means I have to get up at 5 and that means I am getting up in the dark ... again.

Final whine- I love Williams Sonoma - I don't always buy anything there, but I like to make some pre-holiday visits and see what kind of goodies they are cooking up with their mixes and sauces and dips and such.

But this little guy has made me question their product designers.

I mean, they were considerate enough not to add a face that you would have to smash down on a hot casserole dish, but I'm wondering if they actually put one of these to use before the big roll out-

(or is my mind the only one going to these places)

to actually use Mr. Gingerbread Man (and I am assuming a male here because the alternative would be even more upsetting to me) you need to seriously violate his no-no place.

The bad news is that I burnt the cookies. The good news is that his prostate is just fine.

GIVEAWAY 3squares AMAZING Champagne - Sterling Silver and Copper NECKLACE CLOSED

And the winner is THE BLUNT FAMILY (chosen by random.org) True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 588
Result:
575

My favorite piece of jewelry (an amazing moo card holder necklace) was created by the gifted metalworker Jean Cameron of 3squares.

Jean is a mostly self-taught metalsmith whose work is crafted from a mixture of metals with a variety of finishes. Her eclectic creations are some of the most stunning and original work I have ever seen!

Jean dropped out of the corporate world (lucky for us!) to keep her sanity and focus on the things that she's most passionate about.

Aside from her family, that includes creating jewelry and cooking, so it’s no surprise that most of Jean's designs are inspired by (or at least remind her of) something edible.

Her pieces have names like French Toast, Oysters Rockefeller, Cinnamon Poppy Bagel and Squid Ink Fettucine and my all time favorite Milkshake (the moo card necklace!).


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive 3Squares piece - CHAMPAGNE - a totally gorgeous sterling silver and copper necklace!





HOW TO WIN:

Visit 3squares and leave a comment below letting Jean know about your favorite item on her "menu" or something you would like to see her cook up!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, NOVEMBER 8th! Good luck! CLOSED