Mothers

Mother's day is this Sunday... so let's reminisce our good old days together, of when we were young (and our moms were too!)

Mother and Child by ElayneInspired

Whether it's feeding us our bottle...

Inspiring Masterpieces Made From Books

I came across these gorgeous works of art through an intro to Guy Laramee from the Abduzeedo website. Aren't they seriously awe-inspiring? I'm intrigued enough to try my own hand at this, but it may be a disaster :) Check out more beautiful landscapes created from old books, below!

Unique & Free Fonts

If you've ever tried making a poster or a card on the computer, you'll know how frustrating it is to not have the perfect font that captures your message. Well, hopefully I've made your life a little easier by compiling a gallery of some fonts that I've found and really like!

Blanch font

Cool Gifts for Men

The gift-giving season is here and there's just enough shipping time for some online gift shopping. Although there are plenty of satisfactory gift items in malls and other stores, one perk about buying handmade gifts is that they'll be pretty unique. For those who are hard to shop for, I did some hunting on Etsy and found these pretty cool items! :) What do you think?

Sign Geekery by LukeLampCo

For the man child?

Pumpkins

Maybe it's a little early for a post like this, but I'm seeing a lot of fall-inspired items on Etsy and it's transitioning me into the mood for autumn. Pumpkin hits the spot right now, and since I'm a little hungry, everything's going to be food-related. Ready?

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin and Spice Truffles by estheraguirre

Are You Affected by the Weather?

I can't believe that it's September already! I love summer because I love the hot temperatures, sunshine, and longer days. Now it's all coming to an end as autumn slowly (or actually, rapidly) approaches. Just thinking about it makes me a little sad. I've noticed that my mood is directly affected by the weather and I think that's the case for many many people. Have you ever felt that your moods are tied to the weather as well?

What Summer Means To Me by Kristybee
Yes, I want to live the kind of charmed life evoked by these photos.

Thanks to studies done by psychologists (they never let me down), there is evidence that weather does indeed directly affect the moods of some of us. Now we can say we're not making this stuff up when we blame our crankiness on the rain (or the sun).

Cute Animals

So I'm looking at Cute Overload (as usual), and suddenly wondered if there were many cute animal photographs on Etsy. Apparently, there are a lot! Too many for one post, but here are my favorites :)

It's gotta be someone's birthday today :)

Cute Happy Birthday Card by RlynnPhotography

Beach Comber

This weekend, a friend and I made a trip down to Santa Cruz for some leisurely beach hiking. Although Santa Cruz is famous for its beach boardwalk, there are lots of small, hidden beaches along the coastline, frequented by locals. I always find one that I haven't been to, and this is one of them :) There was even a set of abandoned railroad tracks that we walked down for awhile. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture!

Summer Night Magic

Because it's so hot outside, because I've got a cut up watermelon in the fridge, and because I miss those lazy summer evenings hanging out with nothing to do, I'm dedicating this post to feel good memories.

Carnival by eyeful

How to Get Away with Almost Anything

Blush. And by that, I mean the bashful kind of blush.

Blushing Beauty vintage rosy pink visor by heartsmiles

In a study done at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, 196 college students, ages 17 to 44, played an online prisoner's dilemma game. During the first round, a virtual opponent cooperated with the participant's playing strategy and each shared the winnings. During the second round, the opponent abandoned the participant's strategy and earned a a larger winning. After both rounds, participants were shown pictures of the virtual female opponent, who had one of four expressions: neutral, neutral with blush, embarrassment, or embarrassment with blush.

Gifts for Mom

I just realized that I haven't posted any treasuries lately! Since Mother's Day is coming up and I'm seeing all these beautiful and romantic gift ideas, I may as well share the wealth :) and boy, is there a lot to share. Be prepared for treasury overload!

Single Cream Colored Bud Vase by cynthiavardhan

Ways to Stay Creative

Today I found this inspirational list (even though it was posted back in Feb.) but still applicable to so many creative types (like you and me :) Sometimes we get into a cycle and don't realize it until it becomes a rut. Hope this brings some insight into your life!

by Paul Zii on Tumblr

I, for one, need some rest. I've read about people who are refreshed after only sleeping 5-6 hours a day (everyday) and I am definitely not in that group. I can do 5-6 hours if I've slept 8-9 hours the day before, but I can't keep it up. I heard the older you get, the less you sleep need. I can't wait until I get to the age when I can get away with saying ridiculous things and get up for early morning walks at the same time :)

How Many Sisters in a Happy Family?

How many siblings do you have? Perhaps just one sister? If that's the case, did you have a happy family life?

Family Tree by zukzuk

Apparently, a popular U.K. parenting site (Bounty.com) did a study surveying over 2,000 families with different combinations of siblings and made a list of the "Best to Worst Combinations of Kids" for a harmonious family life (via one of my fav websites, the Body Odd, click to read the original article :)

Chasing the Crayon

Anyone feeling particularly whimsical today? Well, have I got the fix for you. And by "for you," I also mean me as well! :) Check out these beautiful illustrations by Tracey Long.

Mr Perriwinkle on a Ram by ChasingtheCrayon

Sweet Mellowness

Are you feeling mellow and pretty today? :)

personalized ceramic FISH tile by karoart

Had a long day? Relax, time for some eye candy... then sweet sleep.

Coffee and Donuts May Be Good For You

Most people are addicted to coffee, and not just in the morning. Many of us notice and chuckle to ourselves at the stereotypical police car in front of the donut shop. Everyone has their guilty pleasures, but what if your guilty pleasure (of a daily donut and coffee in the morning) is actually good for you?

Hello, Morning 8x10 Fine Art Print by TheLightFantastic

According to an article on The Body Odd (one of my favorite sources of interesting information :), Spanish researchers have found that caffeine and glucose actually make you smarter. Apparently, the sugar-caffeine combo boosts your brain in terms of memory and attention.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Get in the spirit! :) And don't forget to wear green!

Four Leafed Clover - Fine Art Photography by DovieMoon

I'm moving to California!

Hi all. After complaining about the winters (I've survived through) here in NY, I'm finally moving back to California! Yay! Warm moderate temperatures, beautiful beaches, San Francisco, crabbing/fishing, year-round mountain hiking, and delicious foods from every culture -- here I come!


Beach in Half Moon Bay

Unsure About Your Decisions? Wash Your Hands!

Face any tough decisions today that left you feeling uneasy afterwards? Such as picking the brown purse or the black one? Sending that e-mail to your boss or not? Chicken or beef?

Hmm... I'll take the farmer. No, maybe the cow.

The Rural Landscape by littlegreenshoo

Apparently, a study showed that washing your hands washes away doubt. This article on The Body Odd shares that when a group of college students were given a choice of tasting one of two different fruit jams, those who washed their hands after choosing expected both jams to taste roughly the same, while those who didn't wash their hands expected the jam they chose to taste better than the other one (due to the need to rationalize their choice).

Peach Chardonnay Jelly by mygreenboot

They were then told to rank 10 CDs and to choose one to take home. Once again, those who didn't wash their hands after choosing felt the need to justify the way they ranked the CDs.

Does washing our hands really make us feel more confident in our choices? What do you think?

Well, while you contemplate what it all means, these handmade soaps will make hand-washing a little easier ;)

Mango Soap Bar by EldoradoSoap

Natural Lavender Exfoliation Soap by crimsonhill

Clementine Lavender - Shaving Soap Stack by bubbletub

Standard Size Wooden Soap Dish by crochetgal

Make Your Own Massage Oil

It's actually really easy! Since Valentine's Day is coming up and some of you may have romantic plans ;) couple massages is a great way to connect with each other and soothe those sore muscles (especially you, who's hunched over a computer all day). There are so many different variations of massage oils out there, all of which work great, but we'll go with a simple and effective recipe this time. The information below is based on my experiences and information that I've collected over the years from my desire to make my own natural beauty products for myself!

Sweet Tweet Pair - Endlessly in Love by KcSoapsNmore

First, you'll need a few carrier oils, which is the base for your massage oil. Olive oil is popular and touted as a moisturizing cure-all, but since it's a thick oil and doesn't absorb very fast, it will leave an oily/sticky residue when used as a major carrier oil in this case because you'll be using a lot of it (although, used in small, amounts, it's a great moisturizer).

Other great carrier oils are sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, and jojoba oil (my three favorite oils that can be used across the skincare board, in my opinion!) All are high in vitamin E, have other skin nourishing properties, and absorb well. Previously, I wrote a post about using these oils for a hair mask. So you don't have to feel bad about buying a bottle that you won't use up in one setting because they can be used in so many ways (which I'll get to in future posts).

Handwoven Turkish Bath Towel by AllOrganicTextiles

Sweet almond oil is great for massages as it absorbs fairly quickly, but not so much that it needs to be constantly reapplied. It's derived from pressed almonds, has a faint scent, is nourishing for any skin type, and doesn't clog pores. However, it's not for those who have nut allergies.

Apricot Kernel oil is great for dry hair and skin, as well as an alternative for sweet almond oil. It's similar to sweet almond oil in texture and color (though it's a little bit darker), and very rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which gives it a longer shelf life than some other oils while promoting soft, nourished skin. It's also absorbed quickly, therefore it won't feel greasy afterwards, and it's derived from apricot kernels.

Jojoba oil is famous for its haircare properties, but you can also use it for your skin. It's actually not an oil, but a wax derived from the seed of the jojoba plant. It's highly stable (meaning long shelf life) due to it containing long-chain essential fatty acids and fatty alcohols that resemble skin sebum, therefore good for those prone to acne. It absorbs very quickly so you'll need to mix it with other oils.

Set of Glacial Stone Tealight Candle Holders by brooksbarrow

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. sweet almond oil
• 2 tbsp. apricot kernel oil
• 1 tbsp. jojoba oil
• 1 tsp. olive oil (optional: if you'd like some extra oiliness for longer massages without reapplying)
• 10-15 drops of your favorite essential and fragrance oils (lavender, rosemary, jasmine, bergamot, vanilla, etc.) Try mixing a few to get a personalized scent, or just stick with one.

Mix and keep in a dark (blue or brown) glass bottle. Glass bottles are preferable to plastic as essential oils tend to react with plastic bottles, therefore contaminating the oil. Carrier oils are not as strong as essential oils and some can be kept in plastic bottles, though glass is preferable. Since your massage oil contains essential oils, you'll need to keep leftover amounts in glass. To prolong the shelf life of all of your oils, keep them in a dark cool place. Mixing a bit of jojoba oil in your other oils will also prolong their shelf life.

Have fun and enjoy the extra pampering!

You and Me Print can be personalized by LennyMud

Custom Wooden Star House Wedding Topper by urastarhouse

Cute couple wedding cake topper by annacrafts

Forever Carved in Wood by inherwordsceramics

9 Ways to Say I Love You - Archival Print by rosydesignsonline