my sunshine

*

i don't know about you, but there are some mundane chores that make me happy; sorting pens is one of that ilk. come to think on it, sorting of any sort (see what i did there?) brings me joy. i have no idea why this is, but i am quite sure it is not proof that i am odd as a certain husband has often suggested.

when the bizzie was up & running i was using my permanent markers daily. because of this, they were regularly checked for dead pens, & put away in an orderly fashion after each drawing session. since closing (sob!) i have used the markers, but have just shoved them back, willy-nilly, in their containers. i know - horror of horrors! worse yet? i would mix different pens merely to get things put away quickly. gasp!

the other day i was in need of a few permanent markers, & found that half i pulled out were dead. this prompted a house-wide marker check. the dead ones were given a proper burial-at-garbage bin, & the survivors sorted properly.

thehobbit did not appear to be as thrilled that his pens too were now checked & properly sorted, but i think this was an attempt to keep tears of joy at bay. probably.

for those wondering: the container in which i house my permanent markers is a metal utensil caddy.  i have found that the caddy is the best for storing pens that get a lot of use. this works for many taller art supplies: pencils, paint brushes, scissors, & so on.

the little sunshine quote was my own addition. i liberated it from an eco gnome. as i walked away with my little quote, i could have sworn i heard him say please don't take my sunshine away. i thought to myself, clever naked eco gnome, & proceeded to glue it to my caddy.

shortly after this photo was taken, the left over pens were returned to their proper bins. i remember using all of those calligraphy markers, but when ever did i find a need for six different highlighters? 

manlyman was home by this time, so i proudly showed him the results of my labor. i showed him the permanent markers all happy in their utensil caddy, the calligraphy markers in the calligraphy pen & ink bin, & the highlighters put back into their labeled ziplock baggie. whilst we were in the bin of be-ziplocked pens, i showed him the regular pen ziplock baggie, the mechanical pencil ziplock baggie, the dry-erase pen ziplock baggie (why don't we own a dry-erase board?), the regular pencil ziplock baggie, & the moving box labelling pen ziplock baggie.

like his son, manlyman did not seem thrilled by my sorting. he also declined all offers to hold the individual ziplock baggies. most likely this was an attempt to keep his tears of gratitude & awe at bay. probably.

~peace.

note of note ::

spell-check needs to get off my back.

thursday things :: fabulous toys

*

i found this gorgeous set of nesting blocks when poking around lehmans. i love the vintage images, & that the colors aren't your typical primary hues. excited to find them, i shared on my personal fb page that elfling needed the blocks. his grandpa instantly replied with one word: done. grandpa rocks!

they arrived a few days later, & i must tell you they are even more fabulous in person. elfling loves grandpa's prezzie, as does thehobbit. ok, we all do. the birthday boy has had, on a few occasions, to remind us that they are his.

as people keep asking for prezzie ideas, i've been doing a lot of searching for things. the trouble is, he needs very little. still, people ask, so i look. of course, i am terrible at staying focused, so it is never long before i'm off baby items, & on toys for bigger kids. below are a few things that caught my eye. enjoy!

* this set of blocks is fabulous!! definitely not your mama's wooden blocks.

* truly, this must be mine. mine, mine, mine!

* a gnome in the box? i love it!

* my goal is to find a used dinky piano for elfling. or win the lottery, so i can afford a new one.

* look at this circus toy, by a fellow naturalkids gal! swoon-worthy, indeed.

sadly, that is all i have time for today. now it is your turn - what toys have caught your eye of late?
~peace.

sneaky peek

*

we are getting ready for our trip to oregon. amidst the planning & eating vast quantities of ice cream packing, i have been working on a hush-hush project. i'm not yet ready to share what's in the works, but i can give you a peek. check out sid:

doesn't he look cute in his travelling gear?

& what do you think of these damask tiaras? i think some of chicago's littlest inhabitants are going to look quite royal indeed.

my to-do list for today boggles the mind, so i can't stay & chat. have a lovely day! wait! before you do: enter to win a trio of my eco gnomes (& other wonderful things) over at soulemama's :)

~peace.

thursday things - eco finds

*

photo :: eco gnome "man of your dreams"

this week i thought i'd share eco-friendly things from etsy. that little guy is one of my eco gnomes. his hat is made from a real california oak acorn, & his outfit is a bit torn from a used magazine. it reads "man of your dreams", which amuses me to no end.

on to my finds!

* reusable sandwich bags are a must if you pack lunches. the amount of waste from plastic baggies is mind-blowing.

* produce bags can be eco-friendly. though so many have made the switch to reusable market totes, most people still take their fruits & veg home in plastic.

* market totes are the only way to go. in my imaginary world i carry my groceries in an old basket; strolling slowly through my tiny village in france...

* coffee cup sleeves can be kept in your purse/backpack. use one when you've forgotten to bring your reusable mug to the coffee joint. you'll still be wasting the to-go cup, but at least you can say no thanks to the cardboard sleeve. this is assuming you are not drinking it there. right?

* apple jackets not only look adorable, they keep your apple from getting bruised. i know someone who wraps her kids' apples in paper towels to keep them padded. i should send her a few of these.

i found much more, but the wee little man just woke from a too-short nap. i'm off to stare into beautiful, sleepy eyes - you go check out eco finds on etsy. don't forget to search "naturalkids team earth day", to find out what sales & special my cohorts & i have going on! (i'm giving an eco gnome with every purchase over $20)

~peace.

earth day promotion

*

i've been hard at work with, my fellow natties, getting ready for earth day fabulousness of the utmost kind. ok, that isn't the official title of the promotion, but i really do think it ought to be.

the details of the group-wide fabulousness can be found on our blog (don't go there just yet!). there you'll find links to all of the shops participating, the dates, & what specials each are offering.

if that isn't enough fabulousness for you, we'll be holding a fun find the gnomie game. with a prezzie! that too is explained on the nk blog.

so what is to be my contribution to earth day fabulousness of the utmost kind? with each purchase of $20 or more, you'll get your very own eco gnome to adopt. i love prezzies.

ok, you may now go check out the blog for all the fabulousness info & such.

~peace.

an eco gnome sojourn

*

i am in danger of tossing out everything in theshop, & making only eco gnomes. they are such fun to create, & their dinky cuteness has me constantly on the verge of giggling.

this trio shall be heading out tomorrow. once at their destination, they'll wait with other lovely creations until their final leg of the journey on earth day. i cannot say any more than that just yet, though i promise to tell you all in just a few more days.

look at the fun outfits they found for themselves in an old magazine! time for me to pop off & find an outfit for myself. cannot stay in my jams all the live long day.

~peace.

fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads...

*

do you remember that song? this post has nothing to do with fish heads, but the song got stuck in my head (yours too? you're welcome), when i was thinking about how roly poly the new people heads are.

my supplier changed the shape, & they didn't say if they'd be switching back or not. i'm bummed, i prefer the flatter head.

the gal with orange hair is the original style. i apologize for their nakedness; they're shameless. do you see the difference in the shoulders though? the original's are not as round. i don't mind that much, it's the head that has me discombobulated.

look how much more roly poly it is. the original's is more squished, which i think makes a for a better face. i was going to say more realistic, but i don't want you thinking i'd lost my marbles completely.

that isn't to say louise isn't as cute as pippi, she just isn't the same. (soap! you named the new gal without even realizing.)

i don't know. what do you think? i would love your input.

i'm sorry, but that eco gnome is just too cute. i told you he was dinky, but i bet you didn't realize just how dinky :)

wow, that was a short nap. ok, i'm off to smooch all over my elfling's face. please leave a comment about the new heads.

~peace.

a mini documentary: eco gnomes

*

eco gnomes are the environmentalists of the magical world. above you see a group of them, on a clothing expedition. they take magazines that humans no longer need, & turn the pages into clothing. one issue of kiwi could clothe an entire colony for a year!

after they have dealt with their nakedidity (real word), they try to get adopted by humans. once in their new homes, the eco gnomes set about helping the humans live more green lifestyles.




it seems that one little guy made his outfit already, but it looks a bit wonky. no iron, perhaps?



don't feel badly for the little wrinkled guy, he's already been adopted. by me! his fellow gnomies will be heading to theshop sometime in the next week. once they've arrived, i'll let you know so you can adopt 1 as well. if i can stop myself from keeping them, that is.

~peace.
(can you believe how tiny they are? that is not a giant acorn in that 1 picture. these gnomes are an inch tall!)