Calling All Shoppers

Just recently 70 Miles West opened up shop on Etsy.com.  For those of you that have not heard of Etsy before, you should really check it out.  It is an online marketplace where people can sell and buy handmade or vintage items, art and supplies.  I like to think of Etsy as an unbelievably extensive art fair.  The best part is that it can be accessed from the comfort of your very own home.  No travel required, which also means no travel cost.  You will see that there is a link to Etsy in the upper left-hand corner of my blog, oh so accessible:)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/70MilesWest

Picture This!

While May was unseasonably cool in northern Illinois this year, the girls and I found plenty of fun activities indoors.  We had an exceptionally crafty month.

From September through May the girls and I have taken part in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF; http://bsfinternational.org).  We have been so truly blessed by this program and all of the wonderful ladies and children that we have met along the way.  It takes a very special person along with much dedication to be a children's leader.  The children's leaders have an important role: to shepherd Jesus' little lambs.  During class, the children would often sing a song entitled, I Am Jesus' Little Lamb.  I thought it would be fitting to take photos of each of my girls with their lambs.  They loved decorating the foam frames for their teachers.

Foam Frames for BSF Teachers

We always try to create something handmade for the grandmas for Mother's Day.  You know how grandmas love that sort of thing.  The girls picked out some fun flower embellishments and adhered them nicely to the frames.  I had fun editing the photos to give them an antique look and then matting them.

Mother's Day Gifts for some very special grandmas

What do you get for a teacher as an end-of-the-year gift?  A framed photo and a poem?  Teachers, especially preschool teachers, have such a huge, all-encompassing job.  It is hard to find a gift that really expresses adequate appreciation and gratitude for all that they are and all that they do.  My 3-year-old had an EXTRAordinary teacher this year.  Thanks to Mrs. Scheffers, school is a wonderful and inviting place.  What a fun year it has been!  It is hard to believe the end is here.

End-of-the-year gift for a truly Admired Teacher

Tangled Party Favors

I have two lovely nieces and they both turned three this spring.  One just recently had a May birthday and chose to have a Tangled themed party.  When I heard this I immediately volunteered to help with favors and/or decorations.  After all, Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies.  I am such a kid at heart (can you tell I used to be a kindergarten teacher).  I had the privilege of gathering and assembling the favors.  I always try to start off by finding a cute container to hold the goodies.  This time I really got lucky.  Thank you Super $ Store.

Girl Favors

The girl guests received a round, purple foam container filled with:  a purple glittery brush, hair clippie, notepad, stampers, and candy all of which were Tangled themed except for the hairbrush.  I think we can all agree that the hairbrush is very fitting.

Boy Favors

And now for the boy guests:  a good sized yellow storage container, Glow-In-The-Dark adhesive stars, notepad, multi-colored pen, squishy lizards, and candy.

The above is proof that once again girl and boy favors can be tied to a single theme even if it revolves around one very girly princess:)