a coupon code....and my birthday?

now that the crafty wonderland sale is over, i am finally able to relax and enjoy this holiday season with my family. it took a full day to recover from my whirlwind weekend, but now that i am rested and free of stress i am ready to clean house a bit. which is why i am offering you a birthday sale....what? a birthday sale at christmas time?

so here's the scoop....when i was a kid, and even now as an adult, i would always receive combo christmas/birthday gifts. my birthday is two weeks after christmas, but still close enough for people to combine shipping or purchases. obviously now that i am a "grown up", i receive a lot fewer gifts. so i decided to celebrate my birthday this year for an entire month with a super duper coupon code....just a little combo christmas/birthday gift from me to you :) you can use this code in either my etsy shop or at www.bhivedesigns.com until midnight of my birthday on January 13, 2011. i will be adding new items to the shop this week, so be sure to keep checking back....to include this super cute giraffe onesie :)

Coupon code good through 1/13/2011

40WINTER2010

the "mother of them all" craft event!!

finally....crafty wonderland super colossal holiday sale!!

Come Visit Me Today or Tomorrow!!

12/11/10 & 12/12/10

Crafty Wonderland

Super Colossal Holiday Sale

Sat & Sun, 11am - 5pm

Oregon Convention Center

Exhibit Hall C

777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.

Portland, OR 97232

a little decorating....and a lot of work

it has been difficult juggling the balls of my life these past few weeks. i have been crazy busy in the b hive, i still have two small children to feed and clothe every day, get to school, get to after school sports, help with homework, animals to care for, a husband to kiss now and then, and a part-time job three days a week....not to mention all of the christmas decorating. i managed to drag a very LARGE tree back to my house last week....and i really mean drag. once i got the large forest specimen back to my house i was a little shocked by how heavy it was. needless to say it was pouring rain and husband was out of town so i was on my own with the tree. i was just praying that none of the neighbors were looking out of their window as i struggled to get it up our driveway. by the time i got it into the backyard i was covered in mud, my shoes were destroyed, and my hair was full of pine needles. i was a mess....but one week later i am happy that i took the time to get our tree when i did. even though the tree is a wee bit big for our house (there is only one inch to spare between the star and the ceiling), it is so lovely and festive with it's twinkly lights at night......p.s. that's my murphy dog resting his head near the tree :)

i love creating little christmas vignettes throughout the house. this year i took a little extra time out of my busy life to create a few new items for my mantle. a couple of months ago i found a large birch branch down by the river, and i knew i had to have it. i wasn't quite sure what i would do with it, but i took it home anyway....much to husband's dismay (he's afraid i'm a hoarder). yesterday, i put my beautiful white branch to good use, and i created the most beautiful little candle holders that i've ever seen. i was so excited about how they turned out that i think i went a little overboard with the self-praise....husband teased me and said i should enter a mantle decorating contest. well anyway i love my little creation, and i wanted to share it with you.

i hope you're enjoying you're own holiday traditions as much as i am enjoying mine!!

the sunday best holiday sale....my favorite!

ok, peeps....this is it....my favorite little sale of the year. the sunday best holiday sale is such a treasure. this is a carefully curated collection, put together by julie of studio olivine. i can't say enough about how much i love each and every artist that is participating, but i will give you a little sneak peak at a few. on the right is the wonderful handiwork of anna joyce design. anna makes a variety of appliqued home good including stockings for christmas. you know i have a fondness for birds....love, love, love this sweatshirt. in the center is a necklace from tasi designs. the sisters that create this beautiful jewelry are sweet as apple pie, and i am always filled with desire when i see their beautiful jewelry. and last but not least are the perfect letterpress gifts from studio olivine. julie will be selling her printed goods, which include wall art hangings....there is even a special little collaboration between her and anna joyce that is a personal must have. but you really should come visit us this weekend to see for yourself. you will not be disappointed.

12/4/10 & 12/5/10

Sunday Best Holiday Sale

Sat, 11am -7pm

Sun, 11am - 5pm

The Cleaners

SW 10th & SW Stark

Portland, Oregon 97205

a little magic elf

i am so in love with my little boys, i just really need to share this story....

a couple of days ago my nine year old jackson came home from a friends house and said, "mom, i need to look around the house for a red elf on a shelf." i had no idea what he was talking about, but apparently his friend has an elf that lives at his house during the advent season. jackson said that the elf appears every morning in a different place. he also added that the elves might not come to our neighborhood....this could have been my out....but, being the good mom that i am i did a little research. apparently there is an "elf on the shelf" phenomenon. there is a little story about an elf that santa sends to live at your house prior to christmas. this little elf reports back to santa each night while the children sleep. the reports to santa include whether or not the children have been naughty or nice. of course when i read about this i had to find a red elf.

last night after work i quickly ran to our friendly neighborhood toy store, thinker toys, for an elf on the shelf kit. the kit includes an elf & a story book about the elf. before the boys returned home i was able to get the elf set up in their bedroom with a note from santa, the story book, two chocolate coins and a number tag indicating the number of days until christmas (in lieu of an advent calendar). when the boys came home i was in the kitchen preparing dinner. we were chatting about our evening the night before, and miles was wondering how he ended up in my bed during the middle of the night (a nightly occurence for our 4 year old). i suggested that maybe an elf brought him downstairs. within a few seconds jackson said, "i need to look around for an elf." i nonchalantly replied "ok", and continued making dinner. within a few minutes i could hear jackson yelling, "mom, i found an elf, i found an elf". he was sooo excited. he ran downstairs with the little elf and said, "i think he came because i believed in him". my heart seriously melted!! it was all very exciting....except i will say that miles was a little apprehensive of the elf. he looked at me and asked if the elf could fly, and whether or not he really had brought him downstairs the night before. after we read the story book about the elf, the boys named him cinnamon, and i caught them periodically whispering to him throughout the evening. apparently he can take requests directly to santa. miles is still a little unsure about the elf's magic, but i can tell you that he was not afraid of him this morning when he found him with a couple of chocolates on his lap :)

oh, i love christmas time....