Being the Mom of 5 children I have a goal this year to get ahead of the ball and plan better for my kids events. Project #1 is Valentine’s Day - Last year I was snapping these pictures before school on Valentine’s Day itself and rushing to get the cards printed and ready before the kids got home at lunch to take them back for their friends. I seriously had my glue gun plugged into my minivan and was hot glueing heart shaped lollipops onto their cards in the Costco parking lot! People were stopping and laughing, I was a sight to be sure! Thankfully I managed to finish the cards and they were a Huge Hit at their school. This year I want to plan ahead better so I can involve them in the card making for their friends, and I don’t look like a maniac with a glue gun in public again.

Last Year’s Valentine Cards – 2011
Snap your pics, edit in Photoshop and add some cute text, I had them printed at Costco on photo paper, then hot glued a heart shaped lollipop into their hand on the image. Supercute right?!

My Valentine plans this year are being greatly influenced by Pinterest. I have an awesome board with Valentine ideas ready to share. I think we’ll be doing the Moustache Cards this year with my boys. Let me know what you are doing and don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for inspiration and fun all year long!

Pop by and see who you can spot! What an incredible year it has been, we loved seeing you at various events and sharing the designers and products that inspire you, and make your life beautiful!

Looking forward to a bright and shinning 2012 with all of you.

First of all I love to go to “The Source” AKA Pinterest for amazing ideas on New Year’s Eve parties and printoffs. Pinterest is a treasure trove and you’re sure to find the perfect little touch to add to your celebration whether a big party, or fun time at home with the family tonight. Here’s the link to my own New Year’s Board on Pinterest – have fun and please follow me, I’d love that and I love to follow you back!

Another great source for New Year’s ideas is our dear friend Megan over at Brassy Apple! All week she has been sharing awesome ideas for a festive New Year’s, and she knows her stuff. Memory packets, New Year’s Surprise Bags, shakers, time capsules and more! Go check it out – you’ll love Brassy Apple.

I LOVED this free printable from Simply Creative Insanity (don’t you love the chevron??!!) Print this cute saying off and throw it in a frame – you can use it anywhere in your home tonight for a little New Years fun.

Whatever your plans I hope you have a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. Take care and enjoy the relationships and make some memories. Be sure to snap those pictures tonight and preserve those moments in a creative way. Thank you for all of your ideas and involvement with Boutique Cafe in 2011! Happy New Year to all of you! – Daria

May you all feel the joy of the season, and your cups of couture will be overflowing with creativity in the New Year! From my family to yours I wish you the happiest holiday. XOXO - Daria

“I try to be true to myself in any holiday decorating. Keeping my personality even in the face of Christmas glitter. I fell in love with a banner at Anthropologie. But did not fall in love with the price tag! Every year I feel like I have to decorate before I start on my other Christmas projects. So this year I did this one for myself before anything. A treat to me for all the hard work I’m about to embark on to pull off Christmas once again. It has been the perfect touch at our front entry and I love walking past it everyday! Merry Christmas to me! You can give yourself this gift too! Here is what you need.” – Liz

Supplies Needed:
-15 Sheets of Felt various colour ( you might want to buy a couple extra to allow for matching options)
-Cross stitch Thread ( I bought this huge pack at Walmart for $10 ‘craft thread’)
-Yarn 3 colors
-Needle
-Printed Letters I used Arial in Bold and outline size 160
-Sewing machine
-Mat and Cutter
-Safety Pin
-Elastic band

Make your cuts. You should be able to get 2-3triangles out of each sheet with salvage
You will need 2 triangles per letter in the banner.

Save your salvages. If you only need 2 out of the color, stop cutting. The Salvage will be used for your letters and circle details.

Next print your letters, cut and trace them onto the felt salvages. Then cut out. Use any extra felt to cut out free hand circles of various sizes.

Line up 2 triangles of the same color. Sew ¼’ seam around all edges. Center and pin letter of contrasting color and sew as close to edge as you can.

Use your floss (craft thread) and needle to do a blanket stitch around the triangle. I doubled my thread for a thicker detail. Pick a thread of a contrasting color yet again for this look. Repeat on your circles as well. This part is what takes the most time, but the look is so worth it!!

For the braids use your colored yarn. I chose a variegated to save on money and still get a variety of color. Cut your full length of both Merry and Christmas and enough to hang, about 4.5 m. I used 2 length per section of the braid for a total of 6 strands. Tie ends in a knot and put a safety pin through the knot. Attach to carpet or somewhere you can anchor it.

Before braiding wrap up each section and put a rubber band around to make it easy to manage and easy to pull more length as you braid. Braid, braid, braid! Then repeat with second color way.

Voila!!

Now your ready to string your banner. Take your cream Yarn on a tapestry Needle and pull through the top portion of each triangle. This is also the time to randomly string your circles on between letters. To attach the braided portion you will need to cut small slits at the bottom portion of the triangles through only the back layer and feed through. If you use the safety pin at one end, it’s easier to pull through.

Once you have everything spaced how you like on the strands of yarn, pull your top and bottom strands together at the swag you are happy with. Do a simple slip knot to attach the strands, as well as create a loop to hang it from. You can either trim or let the ends dangle like I did. YOU DID IT It’s beautiful! Hang it and feel the Christmas spirit! Of course you could spell anything for any occasion in any color way and it’s sure to light up your day!

At the end of it you have this incredibly festive banner to love for years to come! Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you all!

This simple and quick “chili con quese” dip is so easy to make, we let all the kids and grandkids help. Plus, it is a tasty treat for those in our family that are “gluten intollerant”. You can even make it a couple days before the party.

Why the name? Because it looks like “throw up” after you make it!

One recipe is great for 12-15 people. Easy to double the recipe for a bigger crowd.
We add an extra 4-5 more bacon strips to our dip, ‘cause we LOVE bacon. (My personal favorite meat!)

Gramma Halladay’s Throw Up Dip

1- can chili (without beans)
2- cans stewed tomatoes, drained
3-5 pieces of bacon
1 large onion-diced
1 lb processed cheese (Velveta)—cut into small chunks

Fry the bacon and crumble into small pieces. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
Drain the stewed tomatoes and add to the bacon/onion mix. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Add the chili and the cheese chunks. Cook over low heat until cheese melts.
(I transfer the dip to a crock pot and let it simmer until party time!)
Serve warm as a dip with tortilla chips.

Save the leftovers and reheat the next day—sometimes it even better!

Its the best “throw up” you have ever tasted!

Gina Halladay
www.QuiltersBuzz.com

Big Soft Ginger Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

You can find more great recipes on my blog:

www.pinkfigdesign.blogspot.com

Under the Pink Fig Recipe Collection Tab on the right side bar.

Here is the link to the cookie recipe on my blog:

http://pinkfigdesign.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-first-day-of-christmas-my-true-love.html

Instructions by Emalee Grambo. Photography by Patty Young.

Our pink tree, while a fun experience, was definitely a group effort to put together. So find your friends and neighbors to help you put this beauty up.
For starters, you will need some sort of small round object for the tip top of your tree. Being a sewing studio, we had plenty of sewing embroidery hoops lying around and we chose one that was 4” in diameter. Anything similar to this will work great. Just be sure there is no chance whatever you choose can crack… the first item we used—a clear plastic plate—cracked when we tried to put the tree up. This tree ends up heavier than you think.

You will also need:
1 Hula Hoop (at least 3-feet wide)
Colored duct tape or spray paint to cover the Hula Hoop if you wish
Clear fishing line (a bit on the stronger side)
180 shatterproof ornaments in glittery pinks (or the color of your choice)
Clear tape and a hot glue gun to reinforce areas of your tree

We decided we wanted our tree to be about 10 feet tall with ornaments placed every 6.5”. So:

1. Mark your hula hoop and embroidery hoop with ten evenly spaced marks around the circumference.
2. Cut 10 strands of fishing line at 12 feet each.
3. Starting at one end, measure a foot and mark with a permanent marker. From this point measure every 6.5 inches and mark with a permanent marker. About a foot should remain at this other end as well. This will allow room to tie each strand to the top and bottom hoop. All 10 of your fishing line strands should be marked in this way.
4. Proceed to string your ornaments onto each strand and tie three knots at each mark you made. On 5 of the strands, leave the very last mark empty. On the other 5 strands, leave the second to last mark empty. These will be the “top” of the strands. This will keep the very top of the tree from getting too congested. If you have the space, spread each completed strand on your floor to keep it from tangling up with one another. (Trust me on this!)
5. Once you have all ten done, spread them out as best you can in a circle around the object you have for the tippy top of the tree.
6. Tie the top of each strand, alternating between strands with the last mark empty or the second to last mark empty, to each mark on your tippy top tree piece. From four evenly spaced marks on this tippy top piece string fishing line to create a loop to hang your tree.
7. Now this is where you will need all the helping hands you can find. Have each person grab two strands as you lift the center of your tree up. If you don’t recruit these lovely friends, you will be spending the majority of your afternoon untangling these ten strands and your pretty pink tree won’t be looking pretty anymore.
8. Once you have your tree hung, you can proceed to tie each end to your hula hoop where marked. We found it most helpful to place the hula hoop onto a flat surface at the level where we wanted our tree to fall and then tie each end to the hoop.

Christmas Confession #1: I’ve never let my kids decorate MY tree. They can put their handmade ornaments on their smaller trees in their room. I know, I’m a bad mother.

Christmas Confession #2: Even though your Santa may wear a RED suit, mine doesn’t. I loathe RED. There is not a speck of RED (or Christmas Green) in my house during the holidays or any other time. My Santas have Gold, Cream, White, Silver, and Aqua robes…LOL!

Christmas Confession #3: I like getting Christmas cards with pictures of your adorable kids. Except the ones that include those annual summaries of their overachievements.

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas! Lisa – The Domestic Diva’s Disasters Blog

Lisa’s Glamorous Lined Christmas Stocking Tutorial

Materials Needed:

• 1/2 yard outer fabric
  
• 1/2 yard lining fabric
  
• 1 yard fusible interfacing
  
• Sewing Thread

Print out a template or trace an existing Christmas Stocking.

Stocking Templates:

Tipnut’s Stocking Template

Martha Stewart Hankerchief Stocking Template

Martha Stewart Quilt Stocking Template

Martha Stewart Remnant Stocking Template

About.com Stocking Template

Woman’s Day Stocking Template

Fuse interfacing to the back of both your outer fabric and your lining fabric..

Layer both outer fabric and lining fabric right sides together. Trace template and cut out layers.

Sew one top of outer fabric to one top of lining fabric. Repeat with second outer fabric and lining fabric.

With right sides together, place outer fabric/lining piece on top of other outer fabric/lining piece. Sew together …

leaving a 3 inch opening on the lining (for turning).

Clip your curves.

Turn right side out and press.

Stitch Lining Opening closed.

Stuff lining inside outer fabric. Fold over lining to outside to create a self-cuff.

Make Cuff

Measure the circumference of the top of the stocking (mine is 16 inches) and add 1 inch to that measurement. Now take that measurement (for me it’s 17 inches) to cut the width of the cuff fabric with a height of 7 inches. My cuff fabric is 17 inches by 7 inches. You following this?

Fuse interfacing to the back of your cuff fabric.

Fold in half width-wise, right sides together.

Now fold height wise.

Stitch through all four layers of raw unfolded side. Turn right side out. You now have a cuff with the a raw bottom edge

Line up raw edge of cuff with finished edge of stocking. Stitch or serge.

To make a loop to hang your stocking, cut and interface a 2” x 10” piece of fabric.

Fold fabric in half lengthwise and stitch to conceal raw edges.

Fold finished loop in half right sides together. Stitch or serge together bottom edge.

Attach loop to inside cuff seam. Stitch.

Fold cuff to outside of stocking, add a fancy crystal brooch, and hang your stocking!

Monogrammed Cranberry Ornament

You will need: – Some “Cranberries” I used little red foam vase fillers – Glue Gun – A Letter – Burlap – Wire

1. Glue the Cranberries around the boarder of you letter.
2. Continue to fill in the rest of the letter.

3. Make your burlap bow – above is how I made mine

4. Glue your bow right on top!

5. Take your wire making a little hook and glue it to the back as close to the centre as possible

6. Hang it on your tree!

I didn’t have a Christmas tree so I display it on – so my lovely barren tree outside our apartment will have to do! Merry Christmas!

This recipe was passed down from my Grandmother who’s ancestors used to run a bakery in Germany.

My little frosted men might look unassuming in their simplicity, but I assure you they are extremely delicious, addictive, and make for a wonderful family tradition!

RECIPE:

5 cups sifted flour1 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg1 egg well beaten
3 tsp cinnamon1 cup light molasses
1/2 tsp ground cloves1/3 cup water
1 tsp ginger1/8 tsp baking soda

Sift 1 cup of the flour with salt, spices, and baking soda. Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually to shortening beating till light and fluffy. Add egg and slightly warmed molasses. Stir in water. Add remaingin flour 1 cup at a time till dough is soft and moist. Chill for 6-8 hours. Roll about a quarter of it and cut with cookie cutters. Continue. Put on lightly greased cookie tray and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool and then ice with mixture of confectioners sugar and water beaten till smooth and colored with food coloring if you want to be creative.. Raisins can be used as decoration.

Jenny Alden Barth critiques and reviews desserts at www.DessertDarling.com with a 5-cherry rating system to guide you to the very best. She eats the good, the, bad, and the ugly so that you don’t have to.~

Hi this is Daria’s Mom. One of our family’s favourite Christmas traditions is making popcorn wreaths to give away to friends and neighbors (and teachers). It is an easy treat to make and tastes yummy!

I use an angel food cake pan to get the shape of a wreath, and then I also form my own candy cane shapes, which are also fun. If you want to be creative you could do star shapes or whatever else you can think of to make this fun and interesting. Our children still look forward to this tradition and now we are passing along to our grandchildren. Hope you enjoy as much as we do.

Here’s the recipe (I do up several batches)

Pop 1 ½ cups of popcorn (remove all unpopped kernels).

Syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
½ cup marjarine
1 pinch salt
Bring to a boil while constantly stirring. (Burns easily, watch closely)
Cook to almost soft ball stage in cold water. Remove from stove and add 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Pour over popcorn. Mix well.
Pour syrupy popcorn into well sprayed angel food or bundt pan. Press and leave about a minute to take form.
Remove from pan and decorate with jube jubes, and/or Christmas candies of all sorts.

Note: Prior to preparing the recipe I cut out cardboard squares big enough to hold the popcorn wreath, or rectangular ones to hold the candy cane shapes. Cover the cardboard with tinfoil and you are ready to go. Makes it easy to deliver your decorated treat!

Today I am grateful for: – a new and comfortable home – island living is quite special – my adorable, supportive and gorgeous husband who I love more each year! – 5 of the sweetest children ever created – extended family and friends who make this life beautiful and full of possibility – my freedom to worship, believe and have hope each day, and for those who fight to make that possible – each of you! Truly, I am grateful for you!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends

Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone! If you blog about your children’s costumes be sure to link up with us and share in our comments section. We LOVE your ingenuity and of course the cuteness!

Snap a photo and send it in to Megan! Each photo will help raise money for cancer research and will be donated to Stand Up 2 Cancer.org (remember – 1 only photo per person this month! You’ve got to encourage your friends to submit!). Let’s show off those shoes everyone!

We’d like to invite a few of our readers to share your favourite project, craft or DIY idea on Boutique Cafe this month. Posts should include clear photos, and will link back to your own blogs. We also require a mini bio about you (and a headshot – say Cheese!).

If you are interested in strutting your stuff on BC simply email me your idea. We are so excited to see what you come up with to share with our readers, and it’s great exposure for your blogs and businesses as well.

Email your ideas to: daria@boutiquecafe.com

This week I’m heading out to the Island with my hubby and Lola in tow to seek out a home for rent. I’ve only visited Victoria once before, I don’t know anyone out there so it’s a bit scary, coupled with sheer exhilaration at the thought of such a big adventure.

If you walk around my house right now you’ll see little notes all over with two columns:

Great Things about moving to Victoria / Not So Great Things About Moving to Victoria

Missing our dear family and friends definitely lands on the right side of those lists (and right at the top). I’m not entirely sure how I’ll cope without a direct road to our parents homes within arms reach. We’ve been so blessed to be near our family the past 4 years, within an hour or so. Every few minutes my mood changes and you may catch me mid cry or mid laughter at the craziness of what we are doing.

Victoria BC is beautiful. An island surrounded by the ocean, beautiful beaches, lovely weather (goodbye Alberta winters), gardens, orchards, vineyards, whale watching, and a slower pace. My ultimate dream is to have a Palm Tree in my front yard…it’s gonna happen folks.

Hence this post is just to let all of you know that I’m here and have many things to share, however I’m not sure exactly when the posting will take place. I’ll post as I can over the next few weeks. Lots of Market Videos still to share and giveaways to well…giveaway!

XO - Daria

While at Market I was able to attend a few of the events/parties including the exclusive Sweet Hot Yam’s Event and the Bloggers Quilt Market Meetup which Boutique Cafe helped to sponsor. Both events were a blast, jam packed with attendees, and I was so honored to be included in the festivities.

Our interview schedule was literally packed from sun up to sun down. There wasn’t time to stop, it was go-go-go – but I feel it will all be worth it as I roll out the new episodes (as quickly as possible) over the coming weeks. I hope you will all be thrilled to hear from the designers themselves about what they were showcasing, what their inspirations are, and how fun and hilarious some of the moments were that we captured for you on video.

Some Highlights of my trip included:

-Seeing all of my dear friends at Market that I have missed over the past few years.
-Hanging with my girls, Megan and Emily – they are incredible friends and I am awed by their help in getting all of our footage, photos and networking for BC at Market. Amazing!
-Rooming at the Marriott with Paula Prass, Jennifer Storey, and Jona Giammalva – you gals rock!
-Having the tables turned on me and being interviewed by Kim and Kris of The DIYDish! Can you say Hot Seat?
Meeting Nancy Soriano and Jo Packham Cofounders of The Creative Connection
-Chatting with local bloggers in SLC about Boutique Cafe, Market, my family and the gorgeous and incredible weather while we were down there!
-Soaking my feet at night
and many more things I will be sharing throughout our coverage so stay tuned!

PHOTO SHARE

**To visit my bursting gallery of over 300 Quilt Market photos that we took while in SLC click here and head to my Flickr album. I’d LOVE to read your comments!

Please watch for our upcoming Market Interviews coming soon – I’m so excited to share them with all of our Boutique Cafe viewers! Now get clickin’ those Flickr photos because there is great stuff in there! – Daria

We have been covering Quilt Market as Press for our viewers for several years now, and I have a feeling that this year is going to be the best ever! To share in all the creative fun I have a great team coming along with me – Emily our Contributing Editor and owner of Is This Really My Life, and Megan (our past Queen of Chat on Boutique Cafe) and owner of Brassy Apple. Aren’t I a lucky girl to have such a talented and amazing team?!! Just look for the two tall, amazingly stunning gals with cute hair and great shoes and you’ll spot Emily and Megan!! We are gearing up for all the fun and mayhem that Quilt Market provides. If you are attending and see us in the aisles please stop and say hello, we would love to meet you. I also have a few goodies to give away…shhhhhh its kind of a surprise.

Boutique Cafe will be featuring a huge selection of Market interviews, pictures and oodles of giveaways with many of your favourite designers, so be sure to check back here for post-Market coverage. We will even be partying with many bloggers at the Quilt Market Meet-up on Saturday evening. Thursday evening I’m hoping to make it to Quilt Market Sweet Treats and Drinks, a mixer so I’m crossing my fingers that my plane arrives on time for us to attend. It’s going to be a whirlwind of a weekend (feet don’t fail me now), but I can’t wait to get back and share all that we have discovered with you.

See you in SLC and beyond everyone! XO - Daria

If you have questions for specific designers, we would love to capture them answering you on video. Simply post or email your question and we’ll do our best to ask the designer for you at Market. Just a fun way to bring you all along with us.

Welcome Everyone to Boutique Cafe! We’re so excited to have you here as a stop in the Ultimate Blog Party this year. This week Boutique Cafe is excited to “party down” and join the Ultimate Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom. We love their website, and are thrilled to be able to join in the groove with many bloggers and websites across the blogosphere.

As means of celebration Boutique Cafe wants to give one of you a FREE 6 Month Advertising spot on our popular website valued at $540!! We are all about helping small businesses get their name and products out there, and a free ad on BC will do just that for you! This will give you a small taste of what Boutique Cafe has to offer, but don’t stop there listen to our past podcasts, shop till you drop in our Market, Follow us on Twitter, Join our Facebook Group and come back often for our Daily Dish hot product reviews and BC FINDS!

To all our New visitors this week, welcome to Boutique Cafe. Don’t forget to bookmark us and come back often – to learn more about BC check out our About Us page. Thanks for stopping by for your cup of couture and so much more!

Now let’s PARTY -

**GIVEAWAY – Boutique Cafe is giving away a 6 MONTH Ad Spot in our sidebar to One lucky poster (valued at $540) that’s 6 full months of free exposure for your blog or website. To be eligible simply post a comment about our website or this show – we’d love to hear from everyone that visits. We’ll draw the winner on April 9th at midnight.

To Enter:
Leave a comment below with a valid email address for our drawing.

For additional entries:
Follow us on Twitter and tweet about our Giveaway using Hashtags #UBP11 #BoutiqueCafe

Join our Facebook Group and come back here to let us know that you did

Share our Giveaway in your Facebook status – comment here with link to your post

Awhile ago I promised to totally embarrass myself and dance for my Facebook group if we reached 1600 fans. Well, we made it …and then some, in fact we continue to grow everyday!

So here, as promised is your own little piece of blackmail Makes me wonder what I should do for my Boutique Cafe TWITTER followers when we hit 8000!! Thanks everyone for supporting Boutique Cafe on FB and beyond!! XO Daria

Join our Boutique Cafe Facebook Group today>>
Join BC on Twitter>>

*You will need to purchase the magazine for the instructions, this is only for the materials (We don’t want you to be surprised!)

This project was kitted in very limited quantities, grab one now! Think how chic you’ll look at International Quilt Market in SLC this May wearing one of Sandi’s head turners. Time to go shopping!

For all of you fabric loving design types out there, this is a dream come true! Michael Miller Fabrics and SpoonFlower have teamed up to discover their next licensed fabric designer…is it YOU?!! The hunt is on, so get sketching and dreaming and be sure to go to Project Selvage for all of the details here>>

The winner of the challenge receives the following:

• Licensing Contract to print their collection with

Ten finalist will recieve the following:

• $100 Spoonflower Credit
• 10 yds of Michael Miller Fabric (Chosen by individual finalist)

To me these were utterly irresistible, they might as well have been dripping in chocolate! So the package arrived today, and inside were Lola’s new ruffle shoes. I ordered them a bit big so she has to wait a few months to wear them, but we’re ready to be all stylin’. Lola’s reaction was priceless, she literally gasped when she saw them. That’s my girl!

Thanks Emily and See Kai Run for adding yet another vice into my life. XOXO - Daria

QUICK! Join Here>>

Of her new blog project Megan says:
“This blog is about sharing snapshots from women all around the world. We are more than just all the labels, advertising, and categories we are put in or put ourselves in.

We are more than just…........

We all have different forms of beauty, different talents, traits that make us who we are and ideas that drive us and mold our character. We all have a story to tell.

So what can you capture through the lens of your camera to share? Often we as women and mothers are behind the camera capturing life without us in that moment. I want you to share those moments and occasionally step in front of it as well. We capture so many beautiful moments, images, stories and emotions through a single photo. We can learn so much from each other.

This blog will have a monthly theme that all the photos will be based on – like a tiny window into your life wherever you are on the globe. My hope is that we will see how similar we may be, to connect with others, to share a bit of our stories through a picture and a few simple words. To be intrigued about our differences. To laugh, cry, smile…..to be seen.

We are more that just….........women, mothers, teachers, stay at home moms, working moms, single, divorced, married, tall, short, blonde, brunette….......”I AM” will let you declare through a photo bits of yourself and your daily life to share with other women.”

*Please join me in congratulating one of the most talented and kindhearted women I know on a worthwhile and amazing project. I can’t wait to see my readers participate by sending in your own pictures, and sharing the many parts of you with the world. XO - Daria

Follow IamMoreThanJust on Twitter>>

Lola’s photos were taken by: Lizzy Anne Photography

Entries are coming in:

Here on our Twitter Account – just tweet to @BoutiqueCafe
and on our Facebook Group – Just post and let us know why you need a free ad for your business

AND This Contest is Now CLOSED -

The FREE AD Frenzy is complete and we have our winner…well WINNERS! I loved all of your comments on Facebook and Twitter so much, I understand the pangs with owning your own small business so I’m giving free ad spots to THREE winners instead of one. I’ve randomly drawn the winners and they are as follows: Artsy Fartsy Scraproom (AKA @Hotmamabree on Twitter), LuLuBelle’s Couture, and MyLilDarlings Boutique! Congratulations

Obviously there is great need for affordable advertising and getting your name out there in as many places as possible. I am currently working on an idea for Boutique Cafe which I hope will be a real help to all of you. I’ll be posting about it shortly when I’ve worked out the details. Hang in there friends – someone cares…ME!! Daria

We would like to take a moment to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, and a bright and beautiful New Year. We hope each of you will experience the true joy of the season, and be surrounded by love and happiness.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Boutique Cafe – XOXOXO

If your business would like to contribute prizes to our Boutique Cafe Holiday Giveaway pls contact Daria (daria@boutiquecafe.com) (**Prizes considered must be value of $25 or more, we require a picture of the item and a link to your shop). Promotion on Boutique Cafe in our Holiday Show Post will be provided for your business of course!!

HO HO HO!! – Santa Daria

My dear buddies Kim and Kris from The DIY Dish (yes they are twins, no they are not related to Marie Osmond) are guests in a fun challenge on the Nate Berkus Show airing Oct 27th!! Don’t miss it! Eeek so excited for you both, I’ll be watching and cheering – XOXO Daria

Share the 2010 Boutique Cafe Holiday Gift Guide on your blog or website.

Copy the code below and paste it into your web page:

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For details: daria@boutiquecafe.com

We make inclusion easy, affordable and fun for small business owners! After all, that’s what we love more than anything at Boutique Cafe, helping businesses get noticed and doing so shouldn’t cost a fortune. We’re here to help and we love supporting you.

Let’s make it an outstanding year once again! – Daria

I definitely laughed at the end when it asked for someone else in the room. All I could think of was Mindy Gledhill because her music has been filling my studio non-stop. That TOTALLY counts right?!!

Thanks for the fun Emily and for featuring a bit about my life too – I sure do love you! XOXO Daria

Please swing over to “Is This Really My Life” and check out my feature

Podcasts? Videos? Momprenuer Interviews? Product Reviews? Networking opportunities?

Happy Friday! – Daria XO

Oh how I love Quilt Market! The fabrics, the fun, the crazy antics with all my designer pals (sleepless nights up talking for hours, and sore feet). Unfortunately I’m not in Minneapolis for the 2010 Spring show this weekend. I’m so depressed about it, that I’m posting a happy picture of years past when I was able to attend in Portland and meet designer Amy Butler in person for the first time!

Even though I’m not there to cover the event this Spring…do not despair because Bari J. Ackerman is our Official Correspondent for Boutique Cafe (she has biz cards and everything!). Bari will be conducting video interviews at Quilt Market and bringing the footage back to share on Boutique Cafe’s podcasts. We’re so excited!! We love Bari, she attended Fall Market and snagged some outstanding interviews and information for our viewers last year. I’m so grateful she’s up for the challenge again.

If you’re at Market this weekend be sure to snag Bari and tell her all about your fabrics, patterns and how much you LOVE Boutique Cafe – you might just get featured!!

This inspiring woman is never far from my thoughts, and though we have never met I feel blessed to read her words of love for her family, her faith in God, and her perseverance through daily struggle. As we celebrate the wonderful blessings of Motherhood and influential women in our lives this week, I wanted to share this very personal and tender story with you in her touching new YouTube video for the Mormon Messages channel. Grab a box of tissues and meet Nie, of my dear personal heros. XOXO - Daria

Her writing and wit are fantastic, so please support our girl Emily. Grab a Diet Coke, and Get over there!

This commercial from Kia made Nathan and I laugh so hard! I love the Sock Monkey getting the tattoo – hysterical! Had to share. What’s your fave commercial right now? – Daria

Visit Jennifer’s website and blog here>
Get your own, custom made, SugarPlum Hat here>
Or make your own with Jennifer’s SugarPlum Hat Crochet pattern!

DIY: TULLE GARLAND TUTORIAL

I’ve always used tulle when decorating my Christmas tree. It’s the secret to making a cheap tree look full. Basically, I’d “stuff” the tree with tulle and call it a day. However, this year since I now have a full pre-lit Christmas tree, I needed to somehow find a way to incorporate tulle into my tree. What better way than to Tulle Garland?!

All you need is a serger and a few rolls of 6 inch tulle in whatever color you like. The color choices are endless. I used 4 rolls (100 feet each) of “Old Gold Shimmer” tulle. Tulle rolls are sold in increments of 25, 75 and 100 feet. Be sure to buy as much as needed or you’ll be making additional trips to the craft store like I did.


Serger Settings:
4-thread overlock
Gathering Serger Presser Foot (if you have one)
Left and Right Needle Tension = 8
Upper and Lower Looper Tension = NORMAL
Stitch Length = 5 (or highest available setting)
Differential Feed = 2 (or highest available setting)
Note: You can use a sewing machine to gather your tulle, but the serger makes it a fast project…and I’m all about speed.

This helps the tulle gather even more. When your fingers can no longer hold the tulle from behind the machine, let it go. Repeat until you’ve gathered all your tulle needed.

Hello! My new organic towels from Welspun are here!

After the exciting release of my organic bedding, I’m so happy to expand the collection with my beautiful bath towels. Made with 10% organic exchange cotton, these towels are super soft to the touch. The bold and vibrant colors will brighten up any bathroom space even in the wee hours of the morning when waking up is so hard to do. These joyful designs will lift your spirits and get you going!

My new line will be available in my online shop, along with Bed, Bath & Beyond stores nationwide and on Bed, Bath & Beyond.com (with many more retailers to come!). Please visit my website for inspirational photos and all the great details.

Warmest Wishes,
Amy

Vancouver, WA – November 2, 2009 – Puj, a leading designer of modern baby products that help Simplify Parenthood, is putting its new Puj Tub to the test, literally. The company is looking for 100 parents to act as official product testers for its new Puj Tub. The Puj Tub has been hailed as one of the best baby products to come on the market in years, offering a revolutionary new way to bathe a baby. With this new Puj 100 Tub Challenge, parents can see for themselves how easy bathing a baby with the Puj Tub can be.

Parents everywhere know how anxiety-inducing bathing a newborn can be – such a delicate creature slipping and sliding can quickly cause inner panic. With the Puj Tub, parents are able to bathe their baby in a standard sink so there’s no bending over a big, awkward bathtub. The Puj Tub cradles the baby in a cushiony, non-absorbent and non-slip closed cell foam that is also PVC and BPA free. And once the bath is done, the Puj Tub dries fast and folds flat.

The Puj Tub will be available for purchase at the end of November at a price of $39.99; however, through the Puj 100 Tub Giveaway, parents with a blog can go to the Puj site and apply to receive the tub for free in exchange for being a product tester and sharing their honest views on the product. The 100 selected winners will also be listed as official product testers on www.pujbaby.com . In this economy, giving consumers an opportunity to try a product at no cost is welcome news. For more information on the Puj 100 Tub Giveaway please visit www.pujbaby.com

Puj designs products for parents with the focus on making their lives easier. As parents and designers, Katie and Ben Richardson know how wonderful yet challenging parenting can be and have set out to design products that Simplify Parenthood. Having designed products for numerous name brand companies, it just seemed natural to begin designing products that helped them raise their own children. From shoes that fit baby’s feet perfectly to the latest innovation in baby products, Puj Baby makes parents lives easier. For more information on the Puj Tub and Puj please visit www.pujbaby.com.

For as little as $5 you can design your very own virtual gal, and start her walking. Don’t forget to join TEAM Boutique Cafe!! (simply add Boutique Cafe in the team name field when you create your gal, come back here and let us know you joined our team). It’s easy and it’s fun! The joy you feel in knowing that your dollars are helping make dreams come true for cancer patients, well it’s magic.
Here’s Virtual Daria and Virtual Emily doing our thing

Our good friends at YOUCANMAKETHIS have so many sweet NEW ebooks to make your fall and holiday season a hit! Don’t miss out on a jump start on those Christmas projects, now is the time to get planning. YouCanMakeThis has an incredible collection of everything you need to start your projects off right.

Check out this fantastic Silk Web Rose Tutorial from The Domestic Diva – Lisa Carroccio! We love you Lisa, and I adore hearing your accent in this video. For Lisa’s blog please visit here>>

The beautiful & amazing Heather Bailey, fabric and textile designer extraordinare shares her inspirations and ideas on NBC’s Studio 5.

Enjoy this awesome interview with Heather, she even shares a quick and easy tutorial on how to create a beautiful fabric flower accessory from sewing scraps! We LOVE you Heather – way to go!

Read Heather’s popular blog here >>

I couldn’t be more excited about LOVE! My newest fabric collection for Rowan has me reeling.

I’ve gone over-the-top with prints and color to make a luscious and yet “bite-sized” collection of 26 quilting/fashion weight fabrics and 12 Home Dec weight fabrics. A marriage by design coming from a love affair of rich, soulful, organic florals and architectural prints passionately inspired by my recent trips to Indonesia and England. Rich tropical colors with ethnic imprints and elegance found in over the top florals like full roses and exploding peony blossoms join together in an optimistic celebration of print and color.

Print stories ” heart ” and ” soul ” provide the most positive vibe! Let the un-limited mix of design and color fuel your customer’s next creative project! Click Here to view the entire collection, I hope you and your customer’s fall in love with them all!

Westminster Fibers is accepting orders now for all substrates so be sure to contact your rep to place your order or call 1-866-907-3305 to set up a new account. I hope that Love inspires you & your customers to create great things this fall.

Peace and Joy,
Amy

Follow Soleil Moon Frye on Twitter here>>

We have several designers with a focus on babies and adorable items such as hats, personalized onesies, burps, bibs, diaper bags and car seat/stroller cozies. We are pleased to have designers which specialize in couture clothing for boys as well as girls. Adagio Bleu also has some awesome accessory designers who make gorgeous bows, footwear, wallets, cell phone cozies, purses, handbags, backpacks, key fobs and even pet items such as designer fabric collars and leashes!
Come and see what Adagio Bleu Studios is all about, and search our items on Etsy.Com >>

**Giveaway:For our own little contribution we’re going to offer one lucky commenter a FEATURE article on ApronADay!! That’s right, if you’ve been hankering to get noticed, we’ll share your (handmade or apron related) blog or shop with our readers and give you a little boost of attention. All you have to do is leave a comment here along with your url and email address. We’ll draw the winner at Midnight on August 7th!!

Good Luck and have fun visiting all the lovely blogs participating in Apronfest this year! Loads to see and win – its a feast for the eyes!

I just tweeted my affirmation for today: “Even though I’m not at #BlogHer09 I’m still darn awesome!” Follow me here—>

**If you’re a blogger who is at the conference and would like to share your experience please leave a comment with your blog post address. If you’re not at BlogHer (like Emily and myself) feel free to post your woes below too, and you can link to your blog as well (you’re darn awesome too!!).

To Follow Daria on Twitter click here

Yes, it’s true. Nathan and I are expecting baby #5 at the end of December (and yes it was a BIG surprise to us). I’m still trying to wrap my head around the impending big belly, sleepless nights and all of that. After our miscarriage last fall I really thought that I was done, Really I just felt that was it, but this little person has other plans so I’m excited to meet him (or her).

Sadly I’ve been bedridden, hospital prone and severely dehydrated from a pregnancy condition called HyperEmesis Gravidarum. It’s actually quite a series condition, there’s even a website you can check out at http://www.helpher.org which says:

“HG is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the newborn(s).”

And it’s all true! I’ve been so sick, weak, tired, and losing weight rapidly. 12 pounds so far! This has caused me to need to pull back on alot of obligations over the past month or so, I’ve just had no choice. Thankfully I have an amazing family who have dropped their lives to rush to my aid and take care of me and my kiddos. I also have my Nathan who has been like a dream hubby, jumping in with both feet and taking care of all things children and housekeeping. I’m lucky to have such a great man, his Mom taught him well. Needless to say that the past 6-8 weeks or so have been trying and really tough to get through…sniff sniff. I’m hoping as I enter my 2nd trimester that my HyperEmesis will let up a bit and allow me to live a more normal existence but HyperEmesis tends to last the entire 9 months for me. In the meantime I spend most of my time in bed, in pjs, and catching up on every show on tv. ugggh! I miss feeling like me.

So that’s my big news, there’s a little baby on the way but I’m not quite in the excited phase right now. I’m more in the bitter, resentful because I’m so ill phase. Maybe some bloggy friends encouragement will give me the boost I need! XOXO - Daria

It began with a trip to Kenya where we connected with wonderful, intelligent women working hard to feed their families. We met with the women of Mombasa and visited the first small-scale coconut oil plant called Coast Coconut Farms where they produced pure organic coconut oil by hand. Determined to find a way to assist them in selling their oil and to help them grow their business, we came home and through the help of many good people, created Basa Body (named after the women of Mombasa). It is our hope that by sharing this natural healing lotion with their inspiring story, we can help lift these women of Africa out of poverty and help them become self-reliant.

Basa Body’s products are infused with organic virgin coconut oil, which nourishes, hydrates and rejuvenates the skin. The company works hard to keep their coconut body products 100% natural with no artificial ingredients, which means their great for sensitive skin. The line consists of lotion, a body stick and soaps, all made from 100% natural coconut oil and the finest natural ingredients. Basa Body products actually help the skin heal.

I received their Basa “Kiss Me” gift pack (see photo), which included the Basa Body Coconut Oil lotion, Basa Body Stick push tube, Mint Chocolate Truffle Soap and Cherry Chocolate Truffle Soap. The first thing I wanted to do when I opened the box was take a huge bite from the mint chocolate soap—it smelled that good! Plus it came in a cute candy-like paper wrapper, so can you blame me? I tested every product except the cherry chocolate soap (not a cherry fan) and the Basa Body Stick was by far my favorite. Though the soap smelled super fantastic and moisturized as I washed, once I rinsed my skin felt really grippy (i.e. squeaky clean), which is probably a good thing but I didn’t love it. And the lotion went on nicely and absorbed quickly…I only wish it smelled more like coconut!

But the stick was awesome! For an oil-based stick, it absorbed really quickly and moisturized so well! I put it in my daughter’s upper arms where she suffers from dry skin and it immediately remedied the problem. Her arms (and my hands) stayed moisturized for hours! You can actually use it to treat skin irritated by eczema or psoriasis. Plus the natural antibiotic, anti-fungal properties of the coconut oil make it great for diaper rash. They say once you try it you’ll be hooked (right, Jyl?) and I am! And get this, the Basa Body Stick has been referred to by customers as the “Love Stick” because it’s a “wonderful, natural and safe personal lubricant. Try it and say goodbye to K-Y.” I’m sold!

Basa Body products nourish the body, while the company’s story and mission nourishes the soul. By the way, Basa not only purchases all their coconut oil from Coast Coconut Farms but also donates 10% of their profits to projects in Kenya to fight poverty. How can you not love Basa Body?

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Give a gift that gives back by purchasing Basa Body’s “Kiss Me” gift pack. At less than $30 it’s the least you can do!—Emily

* Promotion! Basa Body is offering a special discount and giveaway! Use the promo code “momitforward” when ordering for 10% off your purchase and an automatic entry to win a $250 Disney gift card!

Since announcing that we’re Giving Away two Poken as part of our Ultimate Blog Party, I have received alot of questions. “What are Poken?” “How do they work?” “How much do they cost?” “Where can I get one?”

This fun video shares all that information and walks you through the easy steps to “rock” your Poken experience. You can be totally cool and order a Poken from www.doyoupoken.com OR you can email me at daria@boutiquecafe and I can hook you up with some of my own sweet Poken for sale.

However you snag your Poken, be sure to bring it along the next time we meet up! – Daria

Anyway, the good news is my business partner and I both have a few new projects in the works. The bad news is in order to make these new endeavors happen, we will be moving on from georgie tees, selling the company we have built over the past three (almost four) years.

We are looking for a mom or moms who are interested in owning their own business and who would be a perfect fit for our company. We have spent over three years building our business and as much as we’d love to continue, both of us have new projects we are working on and entrepreneurial husbands who could use our help to grow their own businesses.

Even with all the multitasking we do, we can’t make time for everything in our busy schedules! We have built a strong foundation for georgie tees and are excited to see it grow under new ownership. If you or someone you know might be interested in georgie tees, you can email us at bizinfo[at]georgietees[dot]com for more information.

We appreciate everyone who is helping spread the word. We aren’t in a hurry; we’re all about making sure the new owners will be a great fit for georgie tees (i.e. we hope they have a good sense of humor!). Until the sale is final (and probably for a little while after) we will continue to pour our hearts and souls into our baby company…it’s what mompreneurs do!—Emily

On a personal note: Thanks for sharing the fab mommy made products that you own Trisha. Especially the gorgeous picture you won on Boutique Cafe. We can’t believe that these beautiful products may be no more without some serious re-writing of this legislation.

Thanks to each of you so much for sharing Boutique Cafe with your readers and friends!

(**thank you to Amy from toteandtee.com who designed this actual tee shirt pictured, it was worn by Amanda Congdon in an episode of Rocketboom!)

We are still doing our research but we have done enough to know reform is necessary to keep thousands of small business from closing their doors. “The CPSIA: Good in Theory, Hurting Small, Favorite Green Businesses in Practice” from The Smart Mama is a great post outlining the impact of the CPSIA on small and not-so-small business. It gives a better picture about what types of products/business are affected and the types of testing involved. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article:

On August 14, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). It was drafted as a toy safety law in response, at least in part, to the numerous recalls in 2007 for lead in children’s toys and jewelry. It was also drafted in response to the tragic death of a 4 year old after ingesting a charm that was almost pure lead.

It was designed to be a toy safety law, but its reach is much, much broader. And, like all broadly written, reactionary laws, it has very significant, it appears largely unforeseen consequences. Like perhaps putting out of business thousands of small manufacturers of children’s products, including some of my favorites – the small manufacturers of reusable cloth diapers, natural wood toys, handcrafted costumes, and innovative children’s products.

Another site serving as a clearinghouse for info is NationalBankruptcyDay.com: “February 10, 2009 untold numbers of children’s products manufacturers and retailers will be closing their doors.” Sounds like a national bankruptcy day to me. This site has the most recent info and FAQs on the new legislation with links to how you can get involved, from forums to writing the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and your legislator.

Z Recommends, one of my most favorite sites for children’s product reviews, safety information and pretty much everything a parent needs to know, just posted “Five steps you can take to save natural/handmade companies from the CPSC and CPSIA“:

Livelihoods, work-at-home arrangements, and the availability of handmade and natural products for our children are at stake. Here are five things you can do today to help force Congress to address the mess they’ve made before the law goes into effect on February 10, 2009.

LeShan and I are still learning the ins and outs of the CPSIA but you can bet we’re doing our part to make reform happen. Because if it stays as is, you will no longer see georgie tees cute infant onesies and tees online or in boutiques…—Emily

For even more bang for your buck, you can DIY your way to Christmas Cracker bliss. All you need is some gorgeous wrapping or scrapbooking paper to get started. I found these great directions with step by step pics and instructions. Fun for your holiday table or ON your tree as festive and fun ornaments. Fill your crackers this year with sweet treasures, or personal notes of praise for your family members. What a treat on Christmas morning to snap open a little love note.

Assignment Share: I’d love to see pictures of the crackers you design this year, blog about your DIY Christmas Crackers and then come back and share the linky to your blog. We’ll all come over to Ohhh and Ahhhh over creative you! (I’ll be sharing pictures of these snazzy crackers on our tree too!)

Can’t wait to see! – Daria

Your love and prayers are much appreciated. I thank you for all you have done to support me. Please feel free to pass this information along, as I won’t be able to work on Boutique Cafe this week. I will answer emails next week, thank you for your understanding while I take a few days to be with my family and recover.

Love,
Daria

Please help to save Lisa’s daughter and consider being a living kidney donor. Marielle will only match 1 in 50 people in the general population (average person matches 1 in 2). I am asking EVERYONE who has ever loved a child as deeply as I do my daughter to please consider being a living-kidney donor to her. You might be the one who can save my daughter’s life.”>Here is how you can help. Prayers are also much appreciated for Marielle and her family.

Please help save this child’s life!

Here are the ways you can enter to win:

1. Leave a Comment on Lizzie Anne’s Blog HERE
2. Receive 5 extra entries by blogging about this giveaway on your own blog (you must let her know about it by sharing the url in comments as well).
3. Receive an additional 5 entries by sharing her banner in your sidebar (code is available to copy & paste).

The winner will be drawn on Friday, Oct. 17th so prepare to get all wrapped up in wonderful!

On Boutique Cafe we’re excited to offer our popular 2008 version of our Holiday Gift Guide for your online shops to take part in! The savings guide will run from Sept. 1 – Dec. 31st. To reserve your ad space simply send us an email to daria@boutiquecafe.com and in the subject line please put “Holiday Guide Reservation”. We’ll send you further details on how you can take part and create a holiday selling season to remember!!

Thanks to each of you so much for sharing Boutique Cafe with your readers and friends!

(**thank you to Amy from toteandtee.com who designed this actual tee shirt pictured, it was worn by Amanda Congdon in an episode of Rocketboom!)

You’ve made some amazing items from the eBooks at www.YouCanMakeThis.com. Now it is time to “seal those projects with a kiss” with machine embroidery.

As part of our grand opening, the Janome company is sponsoring a give-away for a free embroidery machine! The Janome Memory Craft 350e is a fantastic machine. Read more about the features this machine has here: http://www.janome.com/documents/File/Brochures/MC350E_Brochure.pdf

We appreciate the Janome company for offering this fantastic prize. To enter this drawing, simply sign up for the free www.SWAKembroidery.com newsletter and you’ll automatically be entered into the drawing. Details on how to enter through mail are also found on the site.

Enjoy your visit to www.SWAKembroidery.com!

The first thing you notice about her is how lovely she is in person, dark gorgeous hair cut shorter in the back and tapered forward to show off her stunning features, beautiful eyes and a tremendous smile. Then when you speak to her you feel so at ease, Anna Maria is just so real and full of life. It’s impossible to be nervous around her! (though my nerves attempted it at first)

Her booth at market won first prize and it was easy to see why, a total visual feast of the most delicious fabrics, textures and patterns. Everything holding true to her unique sense of style and movement. When we sat down in the beautiful wing-back chairs en-robed in “Drawing Room” fabric, it was the perfect place to hold our little interview for Boutique Cafe.

What I didn’t expect from Anna Maria Horner was how entirely funny she is! She had me cracking up so hard at the start of our interview that we literally had to pause and start again (something about the size our our large microphone made us all laugh uncontrollably).

I hope you’ll take a peek at my Boutique Cafe interview with Anna Maria and leave a comment for her. She really was a wonderful guest and just a total thrill to be around!

(Photo Credit: Intimate Photography by Amelia for exclusive use by Boutique Cafe)

MORE Quilt Market NEWS and INTERVIEWS Coming on Boutique Cafe.com – Check in often!!

Teens Today is a website that showcases a teen’s perspective on parenting today, from her “net” generation view of the wondrous world of young people.

Please check out the fantastic list of “Best Parenting Podcasts” mentioned on Teens Today website (we’re in the Parenting with a Twist category). And be sure to leave a comment for Vanessa about why you love Boutique Cafe – we really would love you for it!

Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petton >>

“Dear Daria,
I am writing to you because I have listened to boutique cafe since the beginning and I know that you can reach more women, people, designers single – handedly than anyone else I know of. I Hope that you are able to help us.

Let me start by telling you what this is all about:
Last week, the members of TheAve were devestated to hear that our dear friend and groupmate, Renee was diaganosed with lung cancer Renee, is only 39 years old and is 1/2 of the dynamic painting duo Cricket*Cottage. The doctors have told her the cancer has spread to the rest of her body including her brain. She is in the intensive care unit now where she had a drain placed to drain fluid that accumulated around her heart. At this time, the doctors say she is too sick and too weak to start Chemotherepy. They have said there is no cure for Renee but only the small chance of remission. The cancer will come back

TheAve, instead of sitting back and feeling helpless, has decided to have a benefit launch for Renee with 100% of the proceeds going to Renee and her family. Renee is a mom and a designer just like many of us who listen to your show. Who better to help than one of our own

My Sincerest Appreciation,

Angie
Simply*Sophia”

To support our fellow designer and raise money for her Cancer treatment please bid on these Team Renee auctions >

This month, they are focusing on being a Healthy Mummy – and are giving away some prizes that I just had to share with you. Click and enter to win some spectacular gift baskets from Yummy Mummy Club >>

Designers, Crafters, Sewing Fanatics, Photographers welcome!

Share your talents, passions and pursuits on Boutique Cafe Strut – where YOU are the Star!

XO
Boutique Cafe.com

Join BC STRUT and share your creations! >>

It hardly takes any time and is very important in keeping things tidy, and your sanity intact!! If you would like more information on this, check out show #10 – Dealing with Paper. Good luck!

Check out The Savvy Organizer today >>

*To participate please post your “Dream Jeans” on your own personal blog, with picture and link back to this Challenge url. Once you blog your reply to the Challenge, come back to Boutique Cafe and list your blog link our comments so we can all come to view your post! It’s a fun way to get traffic to your personal blogs + we all get to know each other a little bit better.

*To participate please post your “Purse Contents” on your own personal blog, with picture and link back to this Challenge url. Once you blog your reply to the Challenge, come back to Boutique Cafe and list your blog link our comments so we can all come to view your post! It’s a fun way to get traffic to your personal blogs + we all get to know each other a little bit better.

$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera – Lose The Tripod – The best free videos are right here

“Hello! I will be offering a 10% discount on all sewing pattern orders for the month of February 2008 as a THANK YOU for a great 2007. I am so thrilled with your support and how wonderfully my sewing patterns have been received by you and your customers. It is fantastic to be a part of this wonderful industry that is growing right before our eyes. I’m looking forward to a terrific 2008. Looking forward to seeing you at Spring Quilt Market in Portland Daria.
With my appreciation,
Amy”

Visit Amy Butler’s website in February for the discount >>

Of the new fabric line Amy says:
“My collection is inspired by the vintage modern spirit of my lifestyle book Midwest Modern which just released this fall. With luscious palettes called Ohio Sky and Pink and Orange Dahlias, the colors for this group comes from beautiful summer days in my Ohio garden. The mix of organic prints are perfect for fashion, quilting and home dec projects, everything you need to help your customers create their own Midwest Modern style!”

Visit Amy Butler Design to view the entire collection. Congratulations Amy, we’re in love with your new line!

**listen to our exclusive past podcasts featuring Amy Butler Part One and Part Two.

Not only can you indulge in a unique handmade creation, but you can feel spectacular knowing that you are supporting WAHM’s!

Click here to start shopping and bidding >>

Find her tutorial on her popular blog >>

So here’s our questions for the day – “Have you worn a chic Bob hairstyle? Do you currently rock the bob? And do love love it or would you pass on on the trend?”

Let’s Chat!

(**if you’re sporting a cool new do, snap a shot and throw a picture up on your blog. Then come back and post a link in our comments so we can check it out and rave about you! )

Click to view report>>

Our Buy it Now price is $100 per “Day of Christmas” and will feature you, your group, or your boutique related website during a podcast interview. You will have your clickable link and a few photos embedded in our enhanced feed, as well as your url in our shownotes for that show. Boutique Cafe also will be doing a press release during the holiday shopping frenzy to give attention to our 12 Days of Christmas guests. (**please only inquire as to a “Day of Christmas” feature if you are able and willing to follow through with an interview. You will be given a specific day and time to record and we ask that you arrange to be available. Purchase is non-refundable. If you are unable to record your interview we reserve the right to chose a substitute interviewee of our choice to fill in.)

We’ll be producing 3 shows for this event, each show will showcase 4 different sellers for a total of 12 spectacular interviews! You can help to make it our BEST holiday season yet, purchase your feature on Boutique Cafe’s 12 Days of Christmas and let us showcase your Boutique Children’s fashion and accessories this holiday season!

Step 1 – decide you want to be involved in our Big Holiday Shows
Step 2 – email us inquiring as to availability, and include your name, paypal addy, website or auction link,
Step 3 – If there is an available spot we will send you an invoice and further information on tape dates, if we are sold out we’ll let you know asap
Step 4 – Prepare for your interview and provide us with the necessary information to make your feature spectacular!

**Once days are purchased I’ll be posting a comment to let you know which day is taken until they are all gone.

Flat Betty is Megan’s alter ego who will travel the world spreading joy and raising money for charity.

Are you a Betty? We bet you are! Do you strive to make a difference – however big or small – and look for the beauty in others? If so – embrace your inner Betty and snag one too!

Visit Betty’s Blog for full details »

We now have taken this idea and collaboration to the next level, and started a new show. Maja is the host and I’m producing it! We’re quite the team.

Please check out The Savvy Organizer, listen to it, bookmark it, blog about it, share it with your friends and family. We’d love to hear your comments and questions as well. Let’s get organized together!

Visit The Savvy Organizer website »

If you haven’t noticed, Apron wearing is back! (with a vengeance) and anyone can turn into an Apronista! Join in the journey with me each day on Apron A Day »

email them to me directly or post them in our Flickr group – it only takes a moment for a chance to win a truly exceptional prize.

For Full Details Click Here »

Jeanne Fitzmaurice the founder of DesignHer Gals (and past BC guest) has inspired us once again, with a huge and valiant effort to help stage IV breast cancer patients and their families. Visit the Gal to Gal Foundation Walk website, Click “Join Now”, donate $3, and then create your virtual likeness on the site. It’s that easy to get involved and make a difference. Join Celebrity walkers such as Martha Stewart, Molly Sims, Marg Helgenburger, Dana Devon and many many more as the Virtual walk across America takes place this month. They are hoping to include 1 million walkers and raise 3 million dollars – so spread the word! You can GRAB A BANNER HERE » and share this event with your blog and website readers too!

I joined in the walk today and felt a tingle as I saw my virtual self along side the other awesome women who are walking for this cause. What a thrill to be a part of virtual history like this as well – you can feel that too! Join the Gal to Gal Walk today and be sure to come back and post a comment when you join in so we can search for you on the site.

Join Now & Make A Difference »

Come and meet up with a whole new cross section of women/ moms/ designers/ momprenuers and so much more!

CLICK HERE »

Thank you for taking a moment to vote for Boutique Cafe Cast your Ballot here ». Contest ends Sept. 16th.

Thank you for all your well wishes on our move, it means alot to me! See ya on the Flip Side – Daria

View Report Here »

My one thing is going to be my closet! I am notorious for not hanging things up, but instead laying them on the floor of my closet or on the chair next to my bed. So starting today I am going to hang everything up or fold it and put it on the shelves in the closet.

What’s YOUR one thing going to be? Join in the Challenge »

I’ll miss you all, but will do my best to pop in when I can. Thanks gals for holdin’ down the fort!

Have a fantastic Holiday this week everyone!
Daria
The Spontaneous Vacation Mama

1. Dump everything out and start fresh.

2. Throw away old receipts, gum wrappers, etc. that are not needed

3. Put the necessities back in easy to find places…wallet, keys, lipstick, sunglasses, etc.

4. Plan ahead. What items do you often need but never have on hand when away from home? Find those items and put them where you can find them….band aids, handwipes/sanitizer, tissues, tweezers, extra binkie, sunscreen, etc.

Not enough room for all the necessities of daily life? Perhaps a shopping trip is in order! Shhhh….don’t tell DH

Now for fun, tell us what you carry around in your handbag JOIN the Challenge »