Black Friday!!

Black Friday sale in my shop! My sale starts at 6am and ends at midnight (CT).
20% off EVERYTHING in my shop!!
*discount will be refunded through Paypal after payment is made.

Time to shop in your jammies! Don't brave the cold, get stuck in traffic, or carry those heavy bag all around a crowded mall!

A Breath Of French Air - Your Online Bath and Body Shop

I have finally decided on my Craft Show Table!!

I bought an new cabinet to add to my craft show table. I wanted something with a little character and I think I found just want I needed...and it was on sale for $24!
The cabinet on the left is a shelving unit for a closet, as is the short one next to it. The iron shelving I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $10.00.
The large wood tray in the middle is actually a game board. I can't remember the name of the game, but this piece was in my inlaw's basement. It's great for the soap because it had dividers...perfect!
Here's how the table looks to the left. I need to iron my table cloth! :)

Bath Bombs!!!

I finally found a recipe for Bath Bombs that I love! They have Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Fragrance Oils. I need to purchase more Christmas ornaments (from Hobby Lobby) so I can make them round, although I do like the half circle.
These are scented with Mandarin Tiki! A fresh, citrus scent that's very refreshing.

Watermelon...Hungry anyone??

I had lots of fun making this treasury!

Cut and Sliced Lavender and Peppermint Cold Process Soap!

Cut and sliced and they smell wonderful!! Made with pure Lavender and Peppermint Essential Oils. My house smells divine!

ABreathOfFrenchAir CONTEST!!!

I am running a contest on my blog from May 1st through May19th. To enter my contest, simply visit my shop, ABREATHOFFRENCHAIR, come back and leave a comment on my blog with a link or the name of your favorite item from my shop!

1st Prize - $10 to spend in my shop on anything you like, may be used towards total purchase price, including shipping. $10 must be used all in one purchase any remaining balance will be forfeited .

2nd Prize - A free bar of soap.

3rd Prize - A coupon for 10% off anything in my shop

One entry per person, anyone who links to my contest or blog on their blog receives an additional entry. (Please let me know in your comment or via convo if you have posted a link)
Winners will be chosen at random on May 20th, and I will contact you by May 21th if you have won. Good Luck, everyone!!

My Cairn Terrier Was Stuck Last Night!

Finch is my little 4 year old Cairn Terrier. What is a Cairn Terrier? It's the breed of dog that was in the movie The Wizard Of Oz. They are spunky little things, and full of life!
Finch loves to crawl under this chair, in our basement, and peek her head out from the bottom. She will stay ther, observing the room, for long periods of time.
Finch peeked her head out last night and I thought she was doing her usual "hanging out"...until I heard her whine. For some reason, Finch thought she was stuck under the chair! I rolled her tennis ball (her pacifier) in front of her, but she wouldn't budge...so I knew she thought she was really stuck! Such a silly puppy!

Mother's Day Will Be Here Soon!

Mother's Day will be here soon, and I've stocked up with some goodies from my shop!
My gift set includes a bar of my honey soap, a travel set of body lotion and body wash, and a tub of lip balm. A perfect way to pamper your mom!













My Bath Tea also makes a wonderful gift. What better way to spend your afternoon than soaking away your stress!













My Bergamot Rose soap is just beautiful!













Don't forget your Mother on Mother's Day!

The Happy Squeak Of My Dog!

My funny Cairn Terrier LOVES balls! She is never without one! I have to buy the tennis balls made for dogs, because she cracks the real ones when she bites them. These balls squeak sooo loud! My son hides them from her because of the sound. LOL! See for yourself!

That big black object is my poor ankle inside a "walking" boot, although I'm not able to walk without crutches yet. :(

A Walk Through the Yard.

Starting from the left are Forget Me Nots, Dames Rocket, and Candytuft.

Spring has sprung and I was able to hobble around the yard peeking at all the lovelies starting to bloom. The pictures shown here from last year. I haven't figured out how to carry a camera while walking on crutches. I can tell that we are about a week behind (regarding growth) compared to last year.
Ah...........Spring!!!

My Little Bit Of Spring!!

Life in crutches makes it hard to see all the glorious signs of Spring! I peeked out my front door yesterday and caught a little bird "tasting" my Weeping Cherry Tree! Of course, it flew off before I could take a picture, but I couldn't help capturing the beauty of the tree. I can't wait until I can "fly" off these crutches...and the time can't come any sooner! :)

The Evolution Of Pictures

Thank god for DIGITAL camera! I
can't imagine taking tons of pictures, waiting an hour for developing, and then finding out that you have to start all over!

I took advantage of a sunny day yesterday and took some pictures of some of my products.
Picture #1 was my first "goof"! I'm not sure why, but the flash went off. Now, some take great pictures with their flash, but my flash pictures NEVER turn out...as you can see!




Here is a better picture. I take all my
pictures on my kitchen table. This area gets indirect sun and I find the light very easy to work with. I try to take pictures from afar so that I can crop them as needed. The background is a sheet of scrap booking paper.

















The magic of cropping!





















Added some light! I usually use Picassa
for my editing. It's easy to use, although limiting.




















Ta da! The evolution of pictures!

My First Video!!!!

I had loads of fun making this video! Come check it out!

Happy Birthday, Scout!

Happy 6th Birthday dear Scout! Oh, how did you get to be such a big girl!

Shopping! What else is there to do when you can't walk??

Isn't this cool? OMG, I just HAVE to have this for my bathroom! It's perfect for what I need! I have a long wall next to my air jet tub and this would fit nicely there. $119 from Pottery Barn.



I love this too...perfect for keeping my books and magazines dry!
$59 from Pottery Barn.

Isn't this Cool??

Rubics Cube showing my Ice Cream Soap For Kids.
An etching of my Bumble Bee Soap

My Cucumber Lemon Peel Soap

I found this site from a Flickr member. Isn't it cool? You can do all sort of thing with your pictures!

http://www.dumpr.net/

How Cool Is This??

I woke up this morning to find an Email from DaWanda. I browsed through the sections and what a surprise to find out that I'm one of the shops featured!! How cool is this?

DaWanda

Treasury Time

I'm in love with making Treasuries! It's like shopping, but not having to pay for anything!

My First Etsy Interview!

I would like to introduce to you, Jennie. Her shop on Etsy is called Sosorosey. I purchased this from her, and I'm still in awe with the workmanship on this piece: I have it in my family room and it's holding my pastel Easter eggs!


I asked Jennie some questions about her experience at Etsy.

How did you get started with your art or craft?
I have been crocheting since I was 10, but began crocheting fabric within the last couple of years out of a realization that I had the ability to repurpose some of the vintage linens that I am in love with!

What do you find the most satisfying about your creations?
Each one is different, and I never really know what it will look like when I begin.

What do you find the most difficult about selling your items?
Parting with them :)

How about sharing one time-saving or eco-friendly tip with the readers?
Would love to hear a time-saving tip!

Tell us a little about your personal life - married, children, pets, hobbies other than your art, favorite food, place, activities - whatever you want to share.
Married for 6 years in June, turning the big 40 in June, one 2 yr old daughter Sophia, one cat Sinatra, love to travel, go thrifting, and read, favorite food- anything Italian, favorite place- the high red desert/Moab, Utah (travel there at least once a year)

Share a favorite quote or thought with us.
Don't know who said it, but it got me through 15 years of teaching special ed. and works for my current job too "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten"

Do you have a "day" job? Something other than your etsy store to pay the bills?
Stay at home mom for the last 2 years

Show us your two favorite pieces, and tell us why they are your favorite (don't forget a link).

Gosh, this is hard! My two favorites right now:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10108158

This lone pillowcase had lived its original life to the fullest, but the colors remained vibrant even though the fabric was translucent in spots! I love this piece because it represents metamorphosis and memory.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=7657019
This represents what can happen when you get a convo out of the blue from a total stranger!

What inspires you?
All things vintage, my family, and all of the super supportive and amazingly talented people I have met through Etsy

How did you become involved with Etsy?
Quite by accident- read an article about cool holiday gifts, went online to check out the items, and realized it wasn't just one seller's world. I was in love from day 1!!!

What is unique or special about your work?
I think it is so special to be able to take items that have been loved - sometimes for decades -and transform them into fun, functional, and memory-laden objects of art.


What do you like most about your work? What is most challenging?
I like that each and every item is unique- I love to watch my bowls grow and develop! Most challenging right now is finding the time to crochet as much as I would like. Also, I'm old school with cutting my fabric strips- I don't use tricky cutting techniques or tools that could speed it up, so my scissors and I have a very intimate relationship! I have the calluses on my knuckles to prove it :)

Jennie, thank you so much for sharing your Etsy experience with us!

Me And My Binky!!

Finch lives and breathes for her "Binkies", aka Frisbee's! She has one in about every color. Finch walks around the house with her binky in her mouth. The rim of the binky has an edge, and that edge fits on the inside of the mouth. Now, if you have watched closely, you should have noticed that the INSIDE of the binky is missing! Finch loves to grap the middle of the binky and shake, which tends to cause the fabric to tear away. It doesn't seem to slow her down one bit! When she's running through the yard, the frisbee ends up around her neck...she's such a silly dog!