Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Shopping Style


It's going to be a traditional Up-North sort of Thanksgiving. My family will be gathering at my uncle's house on the farm. My responsibility is to bring the wine and pies, I'm thankful for that. We are so stinking busy prepping for the No Coast show next weekend, I would be a mess if we were hosting a dinner!

I don't have a long list of people to get gifts for. I've already ordered a few items as well as supplies to make some of them. I put a lot of effort into figuring out just what I want to get for my special people and pets. Although gift cards are nice (this is my husband's preferred gift method) I try to get something that I put a bit more thought into.

I tend to do most of my shopping online. Actually I'm in love with shopping online. It's slightly addicting. I can sit in my pjs with a cup of coffee and browse thousands of potential gift items. I have no patience to fight the crowds or stand in line for a Black Friday deal. Who wants to get up at 3am after Thanksgiving?

And it has a little bit to do with my husband working in retail. It's always hard for him to travel for Thanksgiving because he has to be at the store so early on Friday. And it seems like every year it gets earlier and earlier, pretty soon we'll skip the meal and be eating in the store parking lot! Well, maybe not that crazy but you can understand where I'm coming from right?


So this holiday season, I will think about the people I exchange gifts with and the type of retailers I support. What about you, what's your shopping style? Do you rush out and get some of those crazy deals on Friday? Do you make some of your gifts?

Oh and the pic above is a little Christmas card project I'm starting. More on that later...Hope you have a nice long weekend!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Cleaning with Cocktails


Hi, this is Country Mouse! I know, I know, you never hear from me, right? Well, I’m a bit shy and also very busy getting ready for our first appearance at No Coast Craft-o-rama which is coming up December 4th & 5th in Minneapolis.

I just had to peek out of my little mouse nest to let you know about a fantastic cleaning product that I came across recently at the DIY Network, check out the video here. You’re not going to believe it, but it’s Vodka! Yes, it’s true. Vodka for cleaning! Cheap Vodka. Not Grey Goose Vodka, but the cheap stuff. Well, you could use your Grey Goose, but that would get spendy.

I also recently saw Kirstie Alley talking about using vodka for cleaning last week on Oprah! It’s amazing, eco-friendly, and cheaper than buying all of those cleaning products that are so hazardous to the environment. Plus, you can take a sip while you’re cleaning and cleaning will be FUN! Well, gotta run…..happy cleaning and have a fun-filled weekend!


(image Pottery Barn)

Monday, November 16, 2009

We have a Winner!

At the One Yard Wonders Book Release Party with Rebecca Yaker and Trish Hoskins

Thank you so much for entering our first giveaway for a copy of the fabulous One Yard Wonders book! We had so much fun reading your comments about your least favorite household chores. From dishes to laundry to bathroom cleaning, there sure is a lot to do around the house that isn't a whole lot of fun!

We used random.org to pick the lucky winner - AmyV123 - who has a dislike for vacuuming the stairs but is able to convince her husband to do the chore! Congrats Amy! Send us an email with your address so we can send your copy of One Yard Wonders!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Amy Butler Love in the Shop


Have you checked out Amy Butler's newest collection - Love? It's absolutely stunning! I love both the floral and architectural prints as well as the colorways of Amy's new line.

We were lucky to pick up a few of these new prints while we wait for our large order to arrive - we were told it could be early January! So while we wait, let's enjoy the beauties we have available now. New ironing board covers will be added to the shop early this week.


Hope you had a lovely weekend!


Thursday, November 12, 2009

No Coast Craft-o-rama


You'll have to forgive me if it's a little quiet around here. All I hear lately is the hum of the sewing machine and the scissors slicing through fabric. We are in full production mode (working like mad women every waking minute!) preparing for No Coast Craft-o-rama!

If you are local (or maybe you need an excuse for a trip?) you must mark your calendar to attend the spectacular No Coast Craft-o-rama on December 4th (3pm-8pm) and 5th (9pm-5pm) at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. You will find the most amazing gifts for everyone on your shopping list. Check out all of the details here.

AND don't forget to enter our giveaway for your very own copy of One Yard Wonders before midnight CST this Friday!

Monday, November 9, 2009

First Giveaway!


We have been feeling the need to celebrate for quite some time now and decided the time is finally here! Why celebrate? Oh where do I even start....How about a brief recap?

A little over a year ago myself (City Chic) and my mom (Country Mouse) opened our Etsy shop. We never dreamt that a year later we would have so many sales, developed friendships with amazingly talented people, and have a blog with the most wonderful readers!

And finally we have our copies of One Yard Wonders (we contributed our tabletop ironing board cover pattern)! The book is fantastic! It is spiral-bound so it lays open nicely while you read instructions for 101 amazing projects! So how about we celebrate by giving one lucky reader their very own copy?

How to enter:

We try to create things to make your household chores a bit more fun (like ironing!). So leave us a comment with your least favorite household chore.

Rules:
  • One entry per person, open to US residents only (darn shipping costs!)
  • Giveaway will be open through midnight CST - Friday November 13.
  • We will randomly pick a winner and reveal the lucky one Monday November 16.
  • Lucky winner will be responsible for emailing us with their mailing address.
If you can't wait for us to announce the winner of the giveaway, you can order your very own copy here. It's the perfect gift for a fabric lover (remember the holidays are fast approaching!) Good luck and happy sewing!