Ode To The Weird

There are some creative people on Etsy, there's no denying it. But what about the creative people with a sense of humor? These people are probably some of my favorites! I've been perusing Etsy for the past few days trying to find the Best of the Best and these are some of the items that make me laugh so hard I think my sides might split open.

Doody Pops believe it or not, these are actually TREATS for your dog!
They are made with fresh meat and other simple ingredients that dogs go nuts for.


A Breath Of French Air creates these mervelous soaps...that's right, these teeth are actually made of SOAP! Even though they are peppermint "flavored" don't eat try eating a delicious treat with them unless you want a mouth full of bubbles!


These parking notes from Wry and Ginger are absolutely hilarious and were a big hit with my friends when included with their gifts this year. They are PERFECT to leave on the widshield of the driver that decides they are important enough to take two parking spots.

There's a ton more great stuff on Etsy so head on over there and take a look...go on, what are you waiting for?!

The Last Weekend of Summer

The last weekend of summer, AKA Labor Day, arrived just over a week ago. I celebrated it in a way that my family has for a little over 20 years; a trip to my Grandma's house in Pismo Beach. If you remember my last blog I talked about how my Grandma passed away this year on July 20th. This was the first Holiday weekend we have been up there that she hasn't and to say it was difficult would be an understatement. Luckily, we brought my best friend Sue and her daughter Izabella with us and they really helped "lighten the load".

It was the first time either of them had been to the area so we decided to start off the Saturday of our trip with one of our favorite places to have lunch, The Apple Farm in San Louis Obispo. If you have never been to The Apple Farm it's an adorable shabby sheik hotel and restaurant nestled a little of Highway 101. The Apple Farm also features an old millhouse that is a replica of one from the turn of the century. When my brother and I were younger you could watch them make apple juice and ice cream here. Unfortunately when we visited this weekend the mill was broken and so was the ice cream maker. None the less we still had a great time sampling (and buying) the apple juice they make. It's 100% apple with no added sugar or preservatives and probably the best apple juice ever. Here's a couple shots from our visit:

Where would you like to go?

Stopping to smell the flowers

Sue and Izabella waiting for lunch

Izabella and Nanny Sue

The Old Millhouse


Behind the millhouse there is a quiet little waterfall and the perfect place for a photo opportunity

Sue and Izabella

Izabella and Me

Watching the waterfall

Sunday we took Izabella to the beach for the first time. What a trip that was!! The water in Pismo is MUCH colder than it is down here in Orange County and felt like ice water. However, she LOVED it and we had a good time running in and out of the waves and playing in the sand. Those pictures are on Sue's camera but hopefully I will have them soon to post in another blog :).

After the beach we headed back to the house to give Izabella a nice warm bath. There is a rather large bath tub at my Grandma's that I have many fond memories of soaking in for hours at a time as a child. Naturally when Izabella saw it she was impressed with it's size and turned to me and in her almost 3 sweet and innocent voice said, "Auntie, you take a baff wiff me?" What was I supposed to do? Say no? What kind of Best Auntie Ever would I be? So, I (kind or reluctantly) said yes and bathing suit and all climbed into the bath tub with her and we had a great time playing, washing and laughing.

Armpits! Armpits! Armpits!

I hope all of you out there had a fun "last weekend of summer" and an all around GREAT summer!

Once Again...

It's been a while. I apologize for my absence. Life got crazy there for a few months with everything from shows to loved one's passing away. Well, I'm back! And I promise, I'm really really going to try to keep updating this more often...hopefully I can make good on that!

I hit a rather large milestone this month...100 sales in my Etsy shop! I'm so excited! Bike basket liners have been keeping me VERY busy this year...the request for custom orders has been very fun and it's great to see how unique each person truly is. One of the most popular pre-made liners is the "Fiesta Skull". He's so fun and bright I can see why he's well liked.


This summer also included a few trips to the Orange County Fair...something that has been a favorite of mine for many, many years. This year I decided to try more of the fried treats than I have in the past. I wasn't a big fan of the friend Reese's or avocados. But, the fried pizza bits and s'mores have become a favorite and I can't wait for them to come back next year! I was so busy taking in all the sites, smells, sounds and food that I forgot to use my camera a lot but here's some shots from when I did remember.

Izabella in foam Pork and Beans

Have you seen my pig?

Sue, Strawberry Shortcake and Izabella

Izabella and Auntie (Me)

I hope you are all having a great summer and enjoying what's left of it!