Who Knows How Much An Inch Is Anyway?

Measuring Tape from Seasonalsupplies

This week we moved across the hall to a different apartment. It was the easiest move ever! We just packed a cabinet at a time and moved it to the new place. The thing I dreaded most was re hanging all of my curtains, shelves and frames. I like dramatic curtains so I always hang mine higher than the window line and have them touch the floor. A great tip for hanging curtains: I always buy 4 panels for a window that needs 2. I hang the rod about 16 inches wider than the window. This fools your eye to make it look like the window is much larger than it is. It is amazing how much this changes the look of the room and lets more light in. 

Yardstick Planter Box from Whiskyginger

So while hanging the curtains in the bedroom I forgot to measure the space from the curtain rod holder to the ceiling and I had already moved the ladder to the other side. Ask any handyman, my methods for measuring and hanging curtains are probably not correct by any standard but in the end they usually look okay. So I asked Jess to use the tape measure to get me the measurement. She said "17" or 18." I said it's kind of important to get it exact as you can. She responded, "Who knows how much an inch is anyway." We were exhausted and frustrated and probably should have waited to tackle that job. We just started laughing so hard. I said. "Well I know what an inch is." Typical womans answer, right? 

Vintage Ruler Cuts by Coolvintage

I was inspired to write this blog post after that little episode of gut busting laughter. But really, how much is an inch? Is an inch really important, yes...it is. An inch too low and my curtains would have sagged at one side. I am contacted by customers all over the world looking for paper tags from my shop. The photos of my items are all cropped and edited. An image of a tag that is 2 inches in length looks the same size as a photo of the Eiffel Tower when cropped. It is very misleading but not much can be done with the photos. Some  sellers include photos with a ruler which is a great idea. I make sure the measurements are included in the listing description. As an online buyer it is very important to read the wording in the listing.  

Antique Ruler Pendants by Clabbercreekstudio

At one point in my life I decided it would be a great idea if me and my Bestie opened a soap making business. In hindsight I realize this was not a smart move. We had never made soap and knew nothing about it. We got a recipe book from the library and bought all of the ingredients. We decided to make olive oil and lye soap infused with raspberry tea.  My bestie ordered some molds for soap on ebay. We mixed the lye outside on my driveway in my expensive Wolfgang Puck pots and pans, not smart! A little dripped on the driveway and I didn't even think anything of it until the next day when it was pitted with holes where the lye ate it away. We mixed the soap with the tea and it became this beautiful pink color and smelled amazing. The molds came in and were super tiny, they could have made soap for a dollhouse  We should have read the description and measurements. So in the end our soap turned out horrible. We had left the tea leaves in the soap and it eventually turned this disgusting brown color. After paying to fix the driveway, buy new pans and all of our expenses I was about 300.00 down and I had a years supply of the worlds most disgusting soap. Live and learn...but always read the size when buying online. 

My Etsy Coming Out Story...

I Love Etsy Pillow made by Pillowthrowdecor

What is Etsy? Wikipedia defines Etsy as an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and crafts supplies. I would agree with that but what does it mean for real? Founder Rob Kalin finally said he made the word up. Etsy was taken from the word, "etsi" in Italian meaning, "oh yes". Not sure if I believe that...but for now I will accept that answer. When I first perused Etsy over 3 years ago it was love at first "site"...lol. It was like the best craft fairs I had ever been to, open 24 hours a day, all in one spot. I have to admit countless hours were spent looking at things people made that I didn't even know existed. 

Etsy Addict Magnet by Allegrae

When I first found Etsy I was working nights at QVC and a coworker of mine was selling Artist trading cards online.  She would come to work and make her art while talking to customers on the phone. As I'm sure my old boss would not like me to say nights at QVC was our own little playground. People did every kind of craft imaginable, beading, crocheting, card making. I even saw someone plug in a little iron for her quilting. I can say from experience all the representatives were so calm from crafting there was rarely any problems. As the black sheep, reading my true crime novel, I watched my crafty co-workers and became intrigued. She crafted a whimsical little mermaid with sea shells glued to the bottom. I could have looked at it for hours. Like a little vacation in a tiny little picture. 

Original Artist Trading Card by Frances Perea

That weekend I went to Joanns craft store and lost my mind buying all kinds of paper for my new hobby. I dragged my bestie to the goodwill and our favorite antique shop for some old sheet music. What a find... sheet music for only 10 cents each. That is just something you could never have enough of. Glorious songs of yester year, stained with a beautiful vintage patina, smelling as if they were in someones piano bench for more time than I can relate. That weekend you could not see the ground in my craft room just confetti from my feverous cutting and pasting.

I Etsy when no one is looking button by Allegrae

I started selling on ebay just because I had already been selling antiques on there and was familiar with it. They changed the pricing structure after a few months and it just didn't work for me selling most items under 5.00. So I made the jump to Etsy and within one week I had my first sale. I was so excited! And from then on it didn't stop. I quit my day job at QVC to open my Etsy shop full time and haven't stopped since. I am coming out of the closet today and admitting my etsy addiction. If you have not checked out Etsy, please do, and join me in my Etsy fixation! Make sure you have a big cup of coffee, comfy pj's and the honeys credit card. Guaranteed to find something for everyone!

WWW.ETSY.COM

Mason Jar Thank You Tags from my shop LazyDayCottage

Succulent Gardens by Rusty Gate Gardens

Vintage Typewriter Planted with Succulents

A few weeks ago we went to the Winter Springs Spring Fever in the Park Festival. This was our second year attending and we had a great time! We brought Harley, our mini dachshund, and she was surprisingly well behaved. She is an old girl who is not very social but she managed to enjoy herself without barking too much. Last year Jess bought me the most beautiful succulent garden made from a vintage frame. Its a year later and by some miracle its not only alive but thriving! 

Succulent Garden Planted in a Vintage Frame with Feet

The minute I saw this garden, I was in Love! It was so unique and I had never seen anything like it. The woman who makes them, Linda, from Rusty Gate Gardens has such an eye for putting things together. This is a vintage frame which she builds a base for and adds feet. A shabby chic paint effect is added for a beautiful look. I could stand in her booth forever! She tucks the most interesting treasures into each one of her gardens. This one has a rusty trowel and a little rock that says trust. 

Muffin Tin Garden

This year I was entranced by this adorable muffin tin! I kept coming back to it saying how cute it was. It reminded me of my mom who collected more muffin tins any one person would use in a lifetime. I was thinking I would have to be careful to avoid over watering but realized Linda had added holes for drainage in each cup. 

Retro Toaster Planter of Succulent Plants

This was so retro! A toaster...I don't think I could have ever envisioned a toaster as a planter but it works! I can totally see this in a kitchen. 

More adorable planters...an old shoe, now that is recycling!

Who doesn't have an old shoe lying around? What a great planter! 

Some more beautiful garden collections, a vintage tool box, old shoe and assorted glass containers.The tool box is fantastic! 

Anything can be a planter, even a funnel turned upside down. No need to worry about drainage here. This would look perfect on a country porch. 

I am kicking myself for not keeping my old mailbox. It had a perfect weathered patina perfect for plants. The footed frame in the photo is a smaller version of the one we bought. It really is an interesting conversation piece. Everyone who sees it, loves it!

I almost bought this! This hangs on the wall and I knew there would be no way the animals would get into it! 

I just bought a little tea set from an estate sale so that I can plant all the babies in it just like this. Our garden has grown so much in a year that we have had to do a major trimming. The great thing about succulents is that you can root them to grow easily. Please check out Linda's Facebook page Rusty Gate Gardens to see where she will be next. You will not want to miss a chance to see her beautiful creations! 

TORTILLA PIZZAS Great summer dinner!

Summer is coming and I am always looking for easy and healthy dinners. We love pizza but have yet to find a really great local pizza place. I wanted to make a recipe that was easy to prepare and fast to cook because having the oven on in the summer is brutal! Some of the best pizza I ever ate was in New York. The thinnest crust combined with the freshest ingredients cooked quickly in a wood fired oven. Mmm, delicious! We always fought over who was going to get the piece with the bubble! 

I went to Aldis supermarket and found a family pack of 20 flour tortillas the perfect size for a personal pizza for only 99 cents! What a bargain, making each pizza crust less than 5 cents each. If you don't have an Aldis near, you can always find flour tortillas at any local market. I know they also have them in different flavors such as tomato basil, garlic or even whole wheat. 

BBQ CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

This is great for kids to make or when having friends over for game night. I chop up all my toppings ahead of time and everyone can make there own. My favorite is BBQ chicken pizza with mushrooms. Jess loves the 3 cheese tomato basil pizza with basil picked fresh from our herb garden. To make our pizza we start with a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with pam to ensure a crispy crust. Lay the tortilla on the pan and cover it with very thinly sliced tomatos. Using pizza sauce would be considered a sin in our family! I season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, italian seasoning and some garlic powder. Then add any toppings that you would like but I always finish with some hand grated parmesan. Bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for 6-7 minutes. I know 500 degrees seems high but its the only way to get the pizza crisp and bubbly like pizza parlors do. 

TOMATO BASIL CHEESE PIZZA

Everyone loves these personal pizza's! They are super healthy for you and your family. Use ingredients that are in season and find what is on sale to make new topping combinations. If you have everything already chopped ahead of time, dinner can be ready in under 15 minutes including preheating the oven. Add a tossed salad for a more complete meal if you would like. 

TIP: As much as I love fresh whole milk mozzarella it has too much water to use in this preparation. Try finding a healthy low moisture, part skim cheese and your pizza will be crispy and fabulous! Bon Appetit...

Christmas Gift Hit List Part One

Skype

I hope that all my readers had a wonderful holiday! We had a great Christmas with our furry babies but our kids live far away in different states, New York and Hawaii. So we were missing them big time! We were able to Skype Jess's granddaughter so we got to watch her open all of her presents. That was awesome! If you have never tried Skype I highly recommend it. You can make free video and voice calls to anyone with Skype so say good bye to huge phone bills!

Our Christmas cards from Vista Print 

This year I was late on ordering Christmas cards so if you are reading this and still have not received one you may get it in the mail before 2013...lol. We ordered our Cards from Vista Print for the first time. The Vista Print website was great because it allowed us to upload a photo and actually see what our Christmas Cards would look like before ordering them. They had a great sale making each card only a few cents each. The cards came with white envelopes and Jess made these beautiful glittered stickers to seal them. Cards for far away friends and family were mailed and for our local friends we tied them with bakers twine and a candy cane.

I was a little sad that Christmas came so fast this year. I thought I was much more prepared for the holidays than any other year and the time still flew by. The shop was very busy with last minute orders so my days and nights were full. I was a little bummed because I had ordered and traded for many handmade gifts and some were a little disappointing, Next year I vow to be one of those people who start shopping in July. So to cheer me Jess gave me a present early. It was a huge box wrapped with packing tape...packing tape, really? It took forever to get it open. Inside was another box, wrapped with more packing tape...more than necessary. I finally got all of the tape off and guess what?...another box and another. After about 5 minutes of this I could barely do anything but laugh. Inside was the most beautiful engagement ring ever! All I could do was cry...typical woman! It is amazing and has so much detail, I absolutely love it! I really was not expecting it at all considering I was told I am way too picky (I knew that already, by the way) and buying me jewelry would be way too hard. 

My Vintage Inspired Engagement Ring

I also got this gorgeous ring with my favorite gemstone, smokey quartz. Jess bought it to match the acorn necklace that I bought from Adorn You, a wonderful etsy shop with homemade jewelry. Sharon makes unique and beautiful jewelry and I had my eye on her acorn necklace for awhile. She is located in Canada but shipping to the US took about a week. I highly recommend her shop!

Beautiful Smoky Quartz Ring I received for Christmas

Tortoise Shell Acorn Necklace 

Christmas Gift Hit List. These are the items I felt the people I bought for really loved. 

Back to the Roots Grow at Home Mushroom Garden

This was an awesome gift for Jess who has a mushroom fetish! We actually spent 10.00 on a special brush to clean mushrooms because apparently getting them wet is a mortal sin which you can never be forgiven. So we can not wait to grow our own pearl oyster mushrooms. I bought the double kit and was so impressed with the packaging. It even came with a spray mister. I will post an update with photos when we grow them in a few weeks. Thank you for the totally awesome and interesting gift Back to the Roots Garden!

Sea Salt Caramels Olive Oil Soap Bar by Anderson Soap Company

When this soap arrived a few days before Christmas I had a really hard time wrapping it to give away. It smelled amazing! The bar was a really great size and wrapped beautiful. I sent this to my daughter in law who loves homemade soap and it was a big hit! A big thumbs up to Dennis and Brandy from the Anderson Soap Company.

Widmer  Hefeweizen Beer Soap

Another unique bar soap from the Anderson Soap Company. I sent my son the Widmer Hefeweizen beer soap which I thought was cool. I always remember as a teen washing our hair with beer to make it shiny but didn't know you can make soap out of it. 

Waterfall Soap Bar 

This little 2-3 oz, bar of soap is not only vegan but packs huge punch of scent. This smell is amazing and if you like really clean scents that remind you of laundry on the line or a soapy bubble bath this is the scent for you. I am kicking myself for only getting one bar so I am sure I will be ordering more soon! This size bar is great for traveling or to put in a guest bathroom. 

Honey Pot with Dipper Stick from Fatty Frog Pots 

This was my all time favorite gift that I gave this year! My friend Jennifer of Fatty Frog Pots made this incredible honey pot! I am blown away by the craftsmanship. The deep red jasper color will go great in our kitchen and it even came with a little honey dipper. I can not wait to have friends over for breakfast and fill the honey pot with delicious honey. I normally would never blog about how much I paid for a gift but in this case I have to. This honey pot was only 20.00! I can just imagine the amount of hours spent to make this beautiful piece of artistry. Please check out her shop as you will love it! 

Jar of Organic Honey and Handmade Honey Pot

Empress Honey Company Jars of Honey

I could not give a honey jar as a gift without giving honey so I contacted a friend who purchases my little bee tags for her honey jars. (See my little bee tags, so cute!)  Empress Honey Company makes the most delectable honey, I just love the jars they came in and how they were packaged perfectly for gifting. The flavor is light and sweet and is a perfect topping for morning toast!

Part 2 of the Christmas Gift Hit List coming soon! 

After Christmas SALE!!!

We hope you all had a fantastic Christmas filled with friends, family, and great food! We are making room for all of the exciting things we will be offering in 2013 so please take advantage of our after Christmas SALE going on now!!! Most items are $2.00! It is never too early to stock up for next Christmas.

Visit us on Etsy!

Great Skeleton Key Gifts for the Holidays!

Sterling Silver Key Charm Necklace

Photo courtesy of Fawning in Love

There is no better gift on earth than Jewelry! So when I saw this fabulous skeleton key necklace I just had to include it in my holiday gift list. Not only is this a great bargain at only 18.00 but look at the packaging. Great care was taken to wrap such a sweet gift. It really is a pleasure to showcase such beautiful craftsmanship! 

Antique Key Rubber Stamp

This is a great gift for all you DIY crafters out there! This vintage skeleton key stamp is handmade by my "Etsy Bestie" Martina. Made from high quality photopolymer and mounted on a maple wood base this stamp will be an awesome addition to your stamp collection! Did I mention its only 6.00? Great stocking stuffer!

Leather Messenger Bag with Antique Skeleton key Hardware

Okay, this is the big gift, ladies...Handcrafted in rich burgundy oiled leather this messenger bag is to die for! Am I right, its exquisite! It takes 2 weeks to make and each bag will be unique with a slightly different texture and patina. This bag retails for 150.00 but this bag will last for years and years making it a gift of a lifetime!

Skeleton Key Kraft Favor and Gift Box

From my own Etsy shop comes one of my all time favorite ways to wrap a tiny gift. These Skeleton Key Kraft boxes measure 2" x 2" x 2" making them perfect for small gifts like jewelry. I also love making chocolate covered strawberries and putting one in a box is a great gift for a coworker or acquaintance! At less than 1.00 each they are a beautiful bargain.

Leather Journal with Skeleton Key

This enchanting journal sold as I was writing this blog post...that's how fabulous it is! If you love the look of this handmade journal, Medieval Journey has a bunch more! You can tell that each item in this shop is lovingly made by hand with such incredible detail. A perfect gift for the person who has everything!