Vote for me!

The Etsy Homefront Team is having their winter challenge and I've entered a snowman themed hair bow.



Last challenge my poor headband didn't get ANY votes! I would love to get at least one on this one. So please click on over to www.EtsyHomefront.com and vote for me by leaving a comment with my shop name Ella-Bear Bowtique and my winter themed bow as your choice. You'll make my day!

And be sure to check back and see which one of the fabulous items entered wins our challenge because they'll be the first seller with their products on display for the Homefront Team exclusive gift buying guide trunk show! You won't want to miss it!

Making your handmade soap last longer.

I've recently jumped on the handmade soap band wagon and am thoroughly enjoying it. There is so much variety to choose from between Etsy and Hyena Cart. My two favorite soap makers right now are Mommy's Little Helper and Smokey Mountain Scents. I currently have pumpkin spice soap and kaldis dance coffee kitchen soap beside my kitchen sink. Kaldi's dance coffee soap gets all those nasty smells out of my skin from cooking like garlic and onion. The pumpkin spice gives my hands a wonderful scent that I associate with the current season. So it's a very nice balance.

But I noticed that they were leaving soap marks on my kitchen sink and I was frustrated with having to wipe it day after day. My solution to the problem came while I was browsing on Hyena Cart one day. I found these deluxe wood soap decks from Faith Acre Farmgoods.



Not only are they attractive and a fantastic price at only $4 with free shipping but they extend the life of your handmade soap by whisking water away from your soap so you don't get that filmy residue. I bought several and are now using them throughout my house to hold my Smokey Mountain Scents and Mommy's Little Helper's soaps and absolutely love them!

Nature Hikes

With the weather cooling down my family and I have gotten ourselves out of the house and into nature more frequently.
The Virginia summers are hot and humid. Being from Michigan, hot and humid don't sit well with us. We thrive in the cooler weather like we're having now and are taking full advantage of it by going on nature hikes as a family.



My children absolutely love the outdoors and all the dirt, bugs and animals it has to offer. My husband and I enjoy this time out not only as great time spent with our family but also to use it as an educational time to teach our kids about the various plants and creatures we encounter.





It is fun watching their excitement as they discover different flowers, trees, insects and animals. On this particular trip my children had their first encounter with small snakes. There was a small creek with a lovely bridge that crossed it and the creek was so full of life. The snakes were swimming away looking for a place to hide, frogs were hopping and turtles were sitting on logs.



Not only have our nature hikes been a great venue for our children to learn about the outdoors and be active but it has been very beneficial with wearing them out so that they sleep in for us in the morning. I've never been personally against killing two birds with one stone, that's for sure. ;)



This time of year nature hikes are also a great opportunity to explore the changing seasons. To take in all the beautiful colors and wonderful outdoor smells that autumn has to offer. Certainly an opportunity not to be passed up.

Grand Opening of America's Handmade Homefront!

Today is the grand opening of a new selling endeavor for myself and some of the other gals from the Etsy Homefront Team.
We have started a congo on Hyena Cart that consists of 10 shops entirely made up of military spouses.

We're called America's Handmade Homefront and we're offering a nice variety of different items from a variety of wonderful shops.

At America's Handmade Homefront on Hyena Cart you'll find children's clothing, accessories and toys, tastey treats, quilts, home decor, soaps, candles, scrubs, jewelry, crochet items and more!

Our items go live, or become available, today at 3 pm EST. If you check out our blog 3 hours prior to going live, at 12 noon EST today you'll find a list of shops participating in special discounts on Hyena Cart and how to find them.

You'll find a lot of your favorite Etsy Homefront Team sellers at America's Handmade Homefront. Some even have items exclusive to Hyena Cart that you will not find in their Etsy shops!

On our congo you'll find these great shops:

An Army Wife Trends
Ella-Bear Bowtique
Homemade Zen
Love Abounds
Maddie & Me
MayRae Crochet N Knit
Mommy's Little Helper
Smokey Mountain Scents
Teri's Treasure
Tuliptree Baby

So be sure to check out our new congo, America's Handmade Homefront, and help support handmade and military spouses!

Novelty Clippies

I know you've seen them around on Etsy. The various ribbon scultures/novelty clips. They're cute, unique and look difficult to make. All is true except the latter.
These clips are not difficult to make if you take time to imagine how to make the piece work so that it remains sturdy and functional for actual use in a toddler or young girls hair.

There are a lot of tutorials for sale on Etsy and other ribbon sites that charge you to learn how to make their pieces. I have never purchased any of this tutorials and I have not fashioned my clips after their designs. All of my ribbon sculpture and novelty clips were created through trial and error until I got the exact look I wanted while managing to keep the quality and sturdiness of the clip intact.

I added my first ribbon sculpture piece this past June. This was my first attempt at ribbon sculpture and it took quite a few times to get this piece right. I am more than satisfied with the product and those that have purchased it are as well.



Since this cherry piece I have added a few other to my arsenal. A pumpkin, a present and even a little tree.



I have made other items like a cat, a lolli pop and a bird but their functionality is still be tested and redone to make sure it is the highest quality to remain in tact in your daughter's hair.
I have had customers send me convos asking about the durability of my ribbon sculptures because they have purchased from other Etsy shops where the clips fell apart after the first use.
With Ella-Bear Bowtique ribbon sculptures and novelty clips you are getting a high quality product that will be able to sustain regular wear in your daughter's hair.
I do not put our ribbon sculpture that will fall apart after a few uses. My clips are built to last. If they don't pass the test then they are not put into my shop until the proper changes are made to ensure that they do.

My advice when purchasing ribbon sculpture is to contact the shop owner and ask what they do to ensure the durability of their clips. If they don't do anything or are not willing to answer because they don't want to give their secrets away I would move on to the next shop. Otherwise you just may be wasting your money on a product that won't last.

Meet CreationsAnew!

CreationsAnew helped contribute to The World Trade Center United Family Group Inc. by buying some beautiful bows from Ella-Bear Bowtique! Thank you for your contribution.

CreationAnew Photography & Design takes photography to a new level. Offering not only the beautiful photographs themselves but different products featuring the photography. With everything from mouse pads, to calendars and paper weights, CreationsAnew is your one-stop shop for home decor and gifts!

All photography is available in different sizes. You can get a 4 x 6, a 5 x 7 an
8 x 10 or even a mouse pad!
My all time favorite photo from CreationsAnew is the "Old Virginian Shed". There is no doubt that this photo would look beautiful on any one's wall!



Every year I make a new years resolution to keep better organized with my time and activities and I never follow through. I know many of us with Etsy shops need help better planning our daily activities to ensure enough time for work and play. With CreationsAnew's beautiful 2009 desk calendars people like me can finally follow through on their resolution!



Need some inspiration at the office? CreationsAnew's memo pads and paperweights are exactly what you need. You won't mind the daily grind in your cubical if you have these cute notepads to keep notes on.



I personally bought the above notepads and couldn't be happier with the product. I'm giving them as a gift this Christmas and I know my recipient will be more than pleased!

If you're looking for beauty and functionality CreationsAnew Photography & Design is the way to go. With gorgeous photos of flowers, landscapes and more you'll find it's hard to choose just one. And with as many options as she offers for her photography like calendars, paperweights, note pads, postcards and more, you won't have to!

Meet CutesieClips!

CutesieClips helped contribute to The World Trade Center United Family Group Inc. by purchasing some beautiful bows from Ella-Bear Bowtique. Thank you for your contribution!

CutesieClip's goal is to make the world cute one clip at a time. She is well on her way! She specializes in the most adorable felt hair clips you'll find on Etsy hands down. If you can dream it, she can create it. With everything from cute flower clips to the truly unique like this rice bowl with chopsticks clip.



My personal favorites from her shop are her current seasonal items. This scarecrow is perfect for your little one's school Halloween party or that special trip to the pumpkin patch.



Her clips are not only for the young but also the young at heart. With versatile snap clips with non slip material they will work not only in your daughter's barely there hair but also for the mom who has fine or thin hair as well.
CutesieClips designs have endless possibilities. You can go for the ultra cute item for that special little girl in your life or for a design that can transcend age barriers like this cool football clip. Which is perfect for the die hard college football fan, like myself. Go Blue! ;)



At CutesieClips you are sure to find exactly what you're looking for. Something both unique and of extreme quality. CutesieClips creations are definitely a must have on every little girls wish list. And with great prices and fantastic customer service she'll be on every mom's wish list too!