Holiday Giving and Shopping

In the spirit of holiday giving, I'd like to promote the shops of some of my Etsy friends.  Think of this as a mini-mall, where you can shop for a wide variety of treasures for family and friends, and maybe even yourself. Come on, we all know we end up buying something for ourselves as we shop for others (at least, I do!)

So be an armchair (or desk chair) traveler in your comfy home or office and follow these links...it is an easy adventure to take.

 Sage Patch 

Vintage Farmhouse Finds

Revvie1

 A Vintage Textile Pixie, she also carries clothing and jewelry.

Waalaa 
Beautiful & fun vintage earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches, and necklaces.

Vintage Storefront 

Everything vintage, including supplies

ddb7 

Handmade Wood Crafts, Collectibles, Vintage, Antiques

 Aquariann 

Fantasy Art Shop

Kimberly7099
 Queen of the Rat Pack(ers)

A Walk Through the Neighborhood, or Turkey Day is A Comin'

I like to take walks around my neighborhood, not only for the exercise and endorphin benefits, but also because I have adorable neighbors. Visiting them just perks up my day. One day I decided to take a camera with me in hopes of spotting some of them and capturing their images for this blog. One advantage of these neighbors is that no permission is needed to photograph them and publish their pictures.

 
This gal had a baby this year. She must have felt the need for an easier hairstyle to manage.    


               

    This is her baby

     

 

These two get so excited when I pass by. It's the highlight of their day, I'm sure.

Nearly everyday, there are wild turkeys traipsing through my yard, feasting on the black sunflower seeds that drop from the bird feeders. Now that I want a picture of one or two, what happens? NONE are around.  Do you think the word got out about Thanksgiving being this week? Maybe they are in hiding, although I don't think they are that smart--how much brain could those tiny heads hold? Twice this year I have had to investigate a persistent knocking, only to find a turkey rapping its head against the window. Seems he saw his reflection and thought it was another bird. Um-hum. Oh well, they had their chance--no pictures of them, I guess.

                 

You have to look closely to see this one wearing winter camouflage.

    

Is everyone fascinated by woodpeckers? 

Uh, oh better go move this one or he'll be in trouble...

     

    Here's a close-up for all you box turtle fans out there.

Okay this isn't really a neighbor...            

She lives in my backyard and has been one of my treasures forever.

Mystery Solved!!

In case you haven't read the post before this one, please read below first, or this may not make sense.
Oh boy, was this a toughie. All of the answers made me chuckle and all were plausible. BUT only one can be the grand prizewinner. What to do??  I sought some input from the family, but only one would comment. His fave, however, did not provide contact information.  Don't want anyone to think I reneged on giving out a prize, so had to eliminate that one--though I completely understand wanting privacy, especially if one has no shop or blog.  Hmmm, am visualizing all of the educated guesses.... and I am stumped. I'm not even sure it is holiday related, though it does seem to have wings.

So my next brilliant idea was the draw-it-out-of-a-hat trick. Did that and that turned out to be one I wasn't crazy about. I'm sure by now, you are thinking "Much ado about nothing, come to the point already" (or maybe not). Okay, I've made the decision and it is my final answer...

The winner of the Solve the Mystery Cookie Cutter contest is... 

 COTTAGE CANDIES!!!

Father Time With New Years Banner

I am going to change the listing in my shop, but before I do, let me show you where to find Cottage Candies.

You can find them here:

Shop

Cottage Candies

and here:

 Blog

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. Senses of humor much appreciated.

If Folk Art cookie cutters interest you, here is an article to read:

Folk Art Cookie Cutters 

Solve the Mystery Contest

I was rummaging through a storage box the other day, looking for holiday items to put in my shop. I came across this cookie cutter and thought, "Santa! This will be perfect."  

But the more I looked at it, the more uncertain I became. I asked for other opinions and all agreed it wasn't Santa. Oh well, I put it in the shop anyhow, since the holidays are a time of baking.  But I'm still wondering what it is.

This is where the contest comes in... Here's how to enter:

Type your idea into the list below, in 35 words or less. This will also link to your blog or shop, so there will be a little free PR for you as well.  Creativity counts, but so does logic. One entry per blog or shop, please.

Winner will receive an item of their choosing from my Etsy shop, Autena, in the value of $10.00 or less, with free shipping too! I'll also give you a shout-out on the item description in the shop.

Contest ends on 11/15/2010.

What is This Mysterious Cutter?

Vintage Christmas Item Of The Day Sale on Etsy

Vintage sellers on Etsy are having a Christmas sale, with new items offered every day until December 15th. Just click on the link below, which will take you to the thread. Follow the list and click on whatever catches your fancy!!

Check it out:

Vintage Sellers on Etsy Christmas Sale

 

 Lots of Christmas items offered at great prices.

Have fun shopping !!