This is possibly the coolest journal I've ever seen...a Nightmare Snatcher! I bought one of these as a gift and I'm so dissapointed I didn't order one for myself too. Besides being incredibly adorable, it's super soft as well.

From the Spiderbite shop announcement, "Furry and fearless, friendly but ferocious, these Nightmare Snatchers™ are the perfect journals for writing down and drawing out all that scares, frightens, and worries. You have only to recite the spell found at the front of the book, record your woes on their aged tea-stained pages, then mark your page with their long tail and your faithful friend the Nightmare Snatcher™ will eat your fears away."

How much more creative and unique does it get then that?! Check out their Etsy store HERE or on http://www.nightmaresnatchers.com.

Rub A Dub Dub

I'd like to thank everyone who contacted me regarding my last post. Your words of kindness and encouragement mean more then you know. I was really upset last night but am trying to keep busy and keep my mind off the deployment today. I can either fret about it or get over it, and I'm choosing to keep my head up and move on. Thank you again to everyone! I will have some more pictures and stories from Iraq, including photos of the Lumpling's journey, shortly.

With the winter weather upon us, I know I'm not the only one concerned about dry skin. For those of you who havn't already tried it I highly recommend getting some handmade soap. Commercial soaps contain all kinds of nasty chemicals and ingredients that may get you clean, but will leave your skin feeling dry and flakey. Handmade soaps are natural and gentle on your skin, and still get you clean. There's much more variety in scent, color, texture, and ingredients. I know I definitely notice a difference since I started using handmade and am going to share a few of my finds with you.

I found some great handmade soap at the Holly Days show in Fayetteville, NC, by Pretty Baby Soap Co. You can visit their website by clicking HERE. They had a deal, five bars for $20, which I fully took advantage of. They also offer a product called bath tea. It's a mixture of herbs packaged in a small drawstring bag similar to a tea bag. You dip the "tea" in the tub for a minute or so and viola! Your bath water is scented with calming stress relieving herbs. They're only three for $5 (think stocking stuffers!) so I loaded up and now have one hanging in everyone's closet, one hanging from my shower head so I get the aroma when I'm showering, and one in my dresser.

I also ordered some natural milk and honey soaps from Cottage Garden Therapies on Etsy. They are a husband and wife team based in Deep South Louisiana. They grow everything naturally in their own garden and handmake soap the old fashioned way. The packaging of these soaps is fantastic, and would make for a very pretty gift. Each soap is wrapped in paper, put in a little box and sealed with a wax seal. A very pretty label adorns the top of each box. I ordered Milk & Honey, Hippie in a Bar, and Pumpkin Spice, and was very pleased to also receive a full size sample of Celtic Sea Moss with my order! I will caution you though, when they say at least 10 - 14 days for shipping they mean it, but only because they want to make sure the products you receive are fresh. If you need something in a rush I'd highly recommend contacting them before you place your order to make sure they can do it. And their deadline for Christmas orders is December 10th, so hurry over to their shop by clicking HERE.

For Dathan I ordered some beer soap from Anderson Soap Co. I figured since he can't drink it over there, at least he can smell it. So I ordered the beer soap bar, which is made with Guinness, and new brew soap, which is made with Sam Adams. My order came with two small samples and was packaged very securely. It was shipped very quickly. This is another husband and wife team offering hot and cold processed soaps, scrubs, sprays, body butters, and lip balms. You can visit the shop by clicking HERE, or the blog by clicking HERE. What a great gift for the man in your life!

My sister-in-law Jes has been plagued by eczema and dry itchy skin for as long as I've known her. So as a gift I ordered her this gorgeous set from South Pacific Body on Etsy. It arrived today while I happened to be on the phone with her and she was thrilled! South Pacific Body's products are all handmade by a Jersey Girl living on the beautiful Jersey Shore. Yeah! Another Yankee, like me! Not only did the gift arrive quickly, it was also beautifully packaged and included a gift tag. Jes was thrilled with it and couldn't wait to hop in the shower and test it out. Visit South Pacific Body's Etsy shop HERE or their website HERE.

Handmade soap should always be stored on a dish like the one pictured above so it can dry properly. This gift set included a wooden soap dish but you can also purchase one separately from South Pacific Body. And, of course, they're handmade!

Not sure what to get for yourself or as a gift? Why not try a soap sampler? My sampler from Pixie Soap on Etsy just arrived today. These soaps are so fragrant I could smell them even before I opened the envelope. Five yummy scents to try...what could be better? They're also the perfect size for traveling, or in your guest bath, and would make perfect stocking stuffers. View Pixie Soap by clicking HERE.

We are going to be one super clean family for awhile!

More Gift Ideas!

I came across this gorgeous baby/toddler blanket by hoobaleedoos on Etsy. Not only do I love the fact that it's larger then most (32" x 32" square) but I was also super inspired by it! The back is a pink and green leaf print from Heather Bailey's Freshcut line. I picked up some of this fabric awhile back from a local quilt shop and couldn't quite figure out what else to pair it with. She's got a lot of other great items in her shop, and she offers a convenient layaway plan! You can view the listing by clicking HERE.







You could say I have a small obsession with sock creatures. This most likely comes from the fact I have attempted to make sock monkeys myself on many occassions and they all come out miserable, poor guys. If we ever get another dog at least he/she will have lots of chew toys! This adorable little creature by teapotkate is named Beatrice. If you adopt her and her brother, Bernard, you'll get a discount. But at only $20 each they are already a steal! Click HERE to see the listing.







We also have a small J.R.R. Tolkien obsession in the Padgett household and therefore I HAD to share this one:
It's a hobbit door by WeeFolkOutfitters. I firmly believe in wee folk, and have ever since I was a little girl and heard the tail of the brownies (if you were a Girl Scout, I know you'll understand that). They offer several different styles of doors but this is my favorite. I'm definitely getting one for myself, and my fairy obsessed friend Amber. But shhhh, don't tell her! You can see more from WeeFolkOutfitters by clicking HERE.

New New New!

So I've had a lot of things on my plate lately, but finally managed to post a few new things in my shop. Here's a new blankie for some special little Schmooley to enjoy! Would make a lovely Christmas gift, and for the month of October you can have it shipped to you for only $1. I can also gift wrap it for FREE! What could be easier?

My new love...

Last week I ordered this bag from Bloomworks on Etsy. It arrived in a matter of days (seriously, it must've been a record shipment for the Post Office) and I am in LOVE with it! Never mind the fact that the print is one of my absolute favs, it's the best bag in the world. Lately I find when using bags with zippers, snaps, buttons, etc. the bag is always closed when I need to get into it, and have a Schmooley on one arm, Xavier on the other, and about a million other miscellaneous things in between. This of course makes it next to impossible to open the closure and get what I need (usually the keys to get in the car and unload above mentioned miscellaneous junk). This bag is perfect because it's deep enough you don't have to worry about stuff falling out, but there's no closure to deal with. Just reach in, and grab what you need! The 22"strap makes it the perfect length for a shortie like me. The bag is lined in a complimentary beige fabric, reversible, and there's a small pocket inside, done in the red wallflower print, that's perfect for your keys, cell phone, wallet, or whatever. I am done with carrying a purse and a diaper bag so for a long time now I've been searching for one that will do double duty, but not be too big and bulky. I've found it and I think you need one too :-) So go check out her shop and tell me what you think!

Don't these fabulous little treats look good enough to eat? These sweet felt sugar cookies are made by posieandme and can be found on Etsy. She also has some super cute felt hair clippies! You can view her shop by clicking HERE.

Newest member of the Padget family

Look what arrived on my doorstep today! I was so excited I actually hugged the mailman, which I'm sure confirmed his suspicions about my mental state, but I was just THAT excited!

What are these little creatures you ask? They're Lumplings! What are Lumplings you ask? Lumplings are the sweetest handmade dolls, made by the wonderful Amy of Amy Rue. I was lucky enough to be able to adopt Bravo when the new herd was ready to go last week, and because she's a super special lady, Amy was also kind enough to send along a pint size Lump for Dathan to take to Iraq with him. I am so happy, as is Dathan, that this little guy will be his companion over in the sandbox. I have assured Amy he will be perfectly safe in Dathan's care, and I will make sure I keep you updated on their journey together over there. If you want to know more about Amy Rue and the Lumplings click HERE. She also has some fantastic handmade and vintage items in her shop that are truely one-of-a-kind. Thank you Amy for being so wonderful and generous!