winners and birthdays

First things first, here are the winners. I put the numbers in the random number generator and worked down the line of gifts. If you are on the list, please email me your address to jae(at)seaandjae(dot)com. If you are not on the list, please know that I appreciate all of you so much and your comments are a gift to me each and every day. Thanks for reading and I look forward to another year together.

little bird - blue moss

mushroom - deena

bee's knees - pve

sculptural pencil - heidi

udon noodle bowl - slip4

wicker bag - g.

In other news, I know we have celebrated a lot of birthdays here recently...here, here, and here, but today is one more. Happy Birthday to the man I love. To the man I told no when he asked me out for the first time because I thought he was too much younger than me. (It turns out he is only 2 weeks younger and thankfully, I was out of excuses.) To the man who is going to wish he were the editor of this blog instead of me now that I've put his mug on it.

Happy Birthday to my husband!

happy birthday

I started this blog exactly one year ago today. If a little bird

had told me it was going to mushroom

into what it is now, I would have never believed it. I think you all are the bee's knees

for taking the time to pencil

in your comments. I enjoy reading each and every one of them oodles and oodles.

To celebrate, I'm giving away each of the items pictured in this post. Just tell me what you enjoy most about this little blog of mine. I'll draw the 6 winners...yes, I said 6...on Monday.

Here's to one year in the bag.

click on each image to learn more

packaging time

There is an appliance in my kitchen that is almost purely decorative. If it weren't for the timer feature, it would be decorative. I'm talking about the microwave. We almost never use it for it's intended purpose, but always use the timer. I'm thinking about getting one of these adorable little numbers....no pun intended....and letting the microwave go. Do you know someone who could use a little time...remember this post? Well, this would be a cute item to give with a note that says you've figured out how to package time.

Are you a microwave user?

timer available here

a post about nothing

We had a weekend of celebrating, and I wasn't prepared for this morning. So, I casually said out loud, "What should I blog about?" My son blurts out, "blog about pies." Pies....why should I blog about pies? All I can think of is this sounds like a Seinfeld episode. Just like Seinfeld being a show about nothing, this is becoming a post about nothing. And then it comes to me, wouldn't it be fun to watch the Seinfeld episodes with my son. I love watching him find something hysterical for the first time. I know it is probably on some channel on TV, but I think the episodes on dvd would be a gift he would love....without commercials, too. I remember now, Drew was eating toaster pastries when he said pies.

image credit

happy birthday lily!

There are so many things that I love about you, but in honor of your 8th birthday, here's 8 of them.

1. You always call me your teammate.

2. You still reach for my hand.

3. When I call you and tell you I'm on the way home, you say, "Yay!"

4. You make me laugh every day with your dry witty sense of humor.

5. You genuinely like when other people are happy.

6. You adore your brother and most of the time, act like a proud parent.

7. You came up with our goodnight handshake and kiss routine.

8. You are as sweet as the candy you would live on if we would only let you.

Happy Birthday Lil!

it's about time

Dear time,

I wish you were here. I miss you.

Love,

jae

What do you do when there is never enough time for anything? When you feel like you are being pulled in all directions? When overwhelmed is under exaggerated? Is under exaggerate even correct? If you exaggerate something, you make it bigger. If you under exaggerate it, don't you bring it back to normal or does it actually drop below normal? I need a pretty picture.

Ahhh, that's better. Pretty picture found here, of course.

teacher's pet part 2

If you really want to be the teacher's pet, fill one of these with bright red shiny apples. It doesn't really even need words. However, you could go as far as tying tiny notes to each stem listing all the reasons they are appreciated.

teacher's pet

Fill a Chinese take-out container with fortune cookies. Put this one at the very top. You could have your child write a sweet note about how fortunate they were to have them as a teacher or you could tuck a gift certificate inside for something they would enjoy......maybe, a Chinese restaurant.

flexing* for flowers

End of the year recitals and performances are here. At the last minute, Lily went to her friend's ballet recital Saturday night. She wanted to take her a congratulatory gift and since we knew her family was presenting her with the traditional gift of flowers, we had to act quickly. We went here and wrapped them to look like flowers. On the tag...flowers for your ballet toes.

*flex - a movement for the feet when they point(down) and flex(up)it is mostly used in warm ups.

stepping stones

The transition from childhood to adulthood is happening everywhere with graduation time. Mark the event with a simple sentimental favor. Have your graduate write a couple of words of thanks on small flat stones for helping them down their path.

image credit

they say it's your birthday

The Greeks gave us a fancy word for the aversion to the number 13: triskaidekaphobia, a combination of tris, meaning "three", kai, which means "and" deca, their word for "ten" and phobia for "fear". In other words, three-and-ten-fear. There are 13 major joints in your body. A deck of cards includes 13 clubs, 13 spades, 13 hearts, and 13 diamonds. The Chinese abacus consists of 13 columns of beads.There are 13 lunar cycles in a solar year and the moon travels 13 degrees across the sky everyday. The United States has a flag with thirteen stripes on it. On the back of the dollar bill, the eagle holds thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch with thirteen leaves in the other. Above its head are 13 stars and it bears a shield with thirteen stripes. On the left side, above the pyramids, is the motto, Annuit Coeptis (God Has Favored Our Undertakings), which has thirteen letters. Today is the 13th...today is my birthday.

{image credit}

One more thing...the day of the week I was born...Friday.

graduation gift

Your world is waiting.
available here

what lies beneath

I could wear a good tank top every day. In my opinion, for one to be good, it has to be cut long, be anything but boxy, and be soft. I was thrilled to discover an email in my inbox from Claridge and King to say that they have added some new items to their line and guess what......yup....a good tank top is part of it. Actually, I think I might have to say, a great tank top. Great because it comes in three lengths...check, has a bit of spandex to drape well...check, and is made with a cozy blend of bamboo and cotton...check. I really like how these women think. Check out the rest of their new line here.

Friday Favors...just like mom would make

If you are having a Mother's Day dinner or party this weekend, milk and cookies would make a great little nostalgic favor. Just like Mom, what is more comforting than milk and cookies? For an extra special touch, be sure to use her recipe. I did a search and found just what I was thinking of here. Thank you Simply Sweet Bake Shop. Just add a tag or label that says, "Just like Mom's."

Happy Mother's Day!

favorite things

With Mother's Day just a few days away, gone is the time to ship something. So, let's think...why not a gift of her favorite things. Fill a cute summer tote or maybe a great looking wicker piece with something she loves. Is it chocolate? Is it licorice? Is it books? Is it tulips? Whatever it is, do it with abundance. Let the amount be shocking. Go for the visual impact. We all know she's worth it.

image credit

image credit

moms make the best pillows

Because Mom always has you under her wing.

available here

Koinobori*

We all know that May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, but did you know the 5th of May in Japan is the Festival of Children. A carp is flown for each son in the family, a very large one for the eldest, the others ranging down in size.The carp has become the symbol of the Boys' Festival because the Japanese consider it the most spirited of fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. The carp is an appropriate symbol to encourage manliness and the overcoming of life's difficulties leading to consequent success. Festival or not...I choose these.





*Koinobori - koi means carp and nobori means flag.
available here

for the mama birds

Today's Gift of Gab is for Mother's Day and what could be a more appropriate source of inspiration than a much loved children's book.

Because you're in it Mom....

These small goldcrests are miniature works of art by Oiva Toikka. Each bird is unique, featuring its own distinctive color variations and signed as a proof of authenticity. Toikka is a world renowned artist who has won numerous awards in recognition of his artistry. available here

summer weddings

A box filled with letterpress recipe cards would still be around when it was time to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Be sure to include a few of your favorite tried and trues in each category.

available here