iou...

an uplifting post. I have always liked iou cards. It's a clever way to make an idea tangible. This set would be cute to use tucked into a card, or on top of a package, or even as a whole set for a very lucky recipient. They were designed for kids, but I don't see one that I wouldn't like to receive. In fact, staying in my pyjamas all day sounds quite appealing. Which one would you like?



available here

Gift of Gab

If these moustache soaps weren't already great enough, they are also vegan and contain no nasty chemicals. Don't forget to put the quote on the tag.

Available here.

Lolliop Guild

I love the potential and versatility of these lollipops. The Big Race reminded me of that. So much so, that I changed our cover shot. They clearly are just the right extra touch and they obviously have enormous staying power. Forgive me for including the last photo again....I have had it in my inspiration folder for years and I just love it.

images: top and center by seaandjae, bottom by rebecca thuss

I would love to know if you have seen these lollipops used in other memorable ways.

BIG BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Okay, BIG BIG for us! We have been working towards wholesaling some of the items that are exclusive to us and the first one is ready! Here is the announcement as it will be sent out.


It doesn't always take a pea to recognize a real princess. A true princess only needs her crown to set the magic in motion. Use every birthday and it won't even take a magical mirror to recognize who is fairest of all. Each crown is as unique as your princess. Handcrafted in the USA.


We really are hand selecting stores. As retailers, we know that it's important not to sell to everyone in an area. Actually, if any of you know of a store you think our crowns would be magical in, please let me know. As you can tell, we are very excited about this!

That's Mine!

I was going to post about these yesterday to compliment Monday's gift of gab, but was unfortunately distracted. When giving books as a gift, I am a firm believer in signing the inside to mark the occasion. I also think you can take it a step further by adding a bookplate. You can download and print them here at no charge (as long as you don't use them commercially). However, I know there are a lot of very creative artists out there......yes, you know who you are.....who could custom design bookplates to go along with their gift of books. Wouldn't that be a nice touch? This idea is not limited to children's books.

Here's a couple that I thought were cute.

I love how this girl is saying, "That's my book....back off!"

I am stuck on band aid....

She gets it! Yea! It really is a cheap thrill for me when my kids say something that makes me know they understand gifts. While putting a band aid on my daughter's knee (AGAIN!) she says, "If I had a friend who got hurt, I would write cute little things right on the band aids to make them feel better. Then I would give them a box of personalized band aids."

Okay, I just might have to use that!

What ever happened to giant tinker toys?

Late last night I was catching up on some blog reading. When I was on desire to inspire, I was reading the post 80's - good vs. bad and there it was......giant tinker toys. What ever happened to giant tinker toys? This was without a doubt one of my favorite childhood toys. It was the one toy I could play with for hours with my brothers building fort after fort. Why don't you ever hear about these anymore? Did something happen that they quit making them? I found a few sets over at ebay. Giant tinker toys was a box of imagination. We were architects and engineers and designers. If you can find one of these.....now that would be a great gift. I'm sure a few parents might even join in on the fun...*smile.

Stop the presses...thanks for the mention!

This morning we stopped the presses. We received the nicest mention about our sparklers over at Inside the Loop yesterday and I just had to talk about it. "Thank you so much, Courtney. We are honored and touched to have been mentioned on your blog!" The sparklers obviously make birthdays extra festive. Don't think they are just for kids, either. This is the exact sort of thing birthdays lose for adults somewhere along the line. Shouldn't everyone feel a little extra special on their day? Put the correct number in a cupcake and deliver it to a friend on their birthday. I think birthday magic kind of stops for adults when it gets to be too many candles.....this takes care of that! If you really don't want to show the number, we also have stars. A star sparkler in a cupcake would even be a great little token to celebrate an accomplishment. (The star is new for us and not yet on our site, but I'll try to get it listed today.) We also have hearts....perfect for weddings and anniversaries. Okay, if I haven't given you enough uses for these magical little sparklers, how about an anniversary? In the picture, we show a house number for a housewarming gift or party. Okay, I'll stop...it's just that these little handmade wands will bring a little magic to everyone.

Sweet Dreams til sunbeams find you....

Close your eyes and let all your sweet dreams come true. The artist has been creating her hand-made whimsical one-of-a-kind designs for years. She has spent hours visiting the children's cancer wards of hospitals making special pillowcases for each child. The sandman is no longer needed with children so anxious to use their pillows.

I often get asked for gift suggestions for kids at camp. Have a pillowcase made with a camp theme and send it off with a permanent laundry marker for all their friends to sign it. After all, isn't camp all about making friends and memories?