7 more hours to sign up for 65.00 GIVEAWAY!!

7 more hours for this amazing 65.00 Birthday GIVEAWAY from Snicker Doodle!  Check out the post here to see how to enter:http://lillollipopsdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/6500-free-birthday-outfit-giveaway.html


AMAZING!!!  Can't wait to see who wins.
Drawing will be tonight at 9pm Eastern Time

Cold Weather Giveaway from Petite Tuques!

Meet Lisa Savage from Petite Tuques http://www.etsy.com/shop/petitetuques designer, Etsy Shop owner extraordinaire! She makes hats, scarfs and mittens.  We are doing this giveaway just in time for Fall and Winter for all of you!  Lisa is a mother of two boys, 5 and 3.  She says, "We live 'in the country' about 30 minutes away from the Vermont border.  I played flute in high school and I met my husband in the high school band."  Well, looks like I have a lot in common with Lisa!  I live 20 minutes from the VT border as well in MA and I am a musician as well (singer).  :)  Lisa sounds like what happened to me.  When I had kids, they kept me to busy to be able to go sing at different jazz venues at night or to be in a musical with all the rehearsals.   My creativity morphed into something else that kept me still true to myself, but I was there for my kids as well.

 

Lisa started creating her designs when she was pregnant and she wanted to make everything for her boys.  She first knitted a sweater.  Wow, talk about ambition!  I love the saying "that where there is fear there is no creativity"( Christopher Lowell), Lisa had no fear to start with such an ambitious project like knitting a sweater!  When she started to sell online, she decided she should make smaller items as well like hat and mitten sets.  I guess once you master a sweater you can make anything!  I asked her what inspires her designs and she said, "My books inspire me, my children, colors I see in our clothes, pretty much everything."  

The name of Lisa's shop is so unique and posh.  I asked her why Petite Toques and she said, "I live in a french community. I knew that if I were to get really big, I’d have to stay within the laws so I looked for a French name, that English people could still relate to. We call hats “toques” and “tuques” is just the French version of it." She loves being on Etsy because she likes the traffic to her shop and she enjoys the community on Etsy. http://petitetuques.com/

As we all know, being a mom is hard enough to juggle without also being a business owner and designer.  I asked Lisa how she juggles it all: "It’s always changing! Luckily my oldest is in school now. I just have the one boy at home and my hubby has days off during the week.   I am pretty lucky that there are days that I can get all the mailing done without hauling the kids around, or go get supplies alone too!"

Lisa is a fellow member of the Etsy Kids Team http://etsykids.com http://etsykids.blogspot.com/ 

I asked her if she had any favorite Etsy Kids shops and she said she liked Baby Swank

http://www.etsy.com/shop/babyswank 

I had a few of my own questions I wanted to ask Lisa.  When I asked her if she spoke French at home she said, "I learned French in school, but I never became bilingual. I can have small conversations in french, and it does get complicated at craft shows! No, we don’t speak it at home. Although with my big boy in school, I’ll be learning along with him"  I always thought French was so sexy and posh.  I have got to learn it myself!

I wondered if Lisa got Carpal Tunnel knitting so much.  I suffer from it in both hands and I don't even knit.  :)  She told me, "I don’t have carpal tunnel yet.. but I do get pain in my left hand ring finger when I knit too much. I usually just stop – I have to stop and massage my fingers and that’s usually at the end of the day. The next day I’ll be fine."  Careful girlie!

"Lisa, If I were to travel to Canada for the first time...which we will this year sometime, what would be the number one place you would tell me to go to and why?" I said.  She responded, "I’d tell you to go to LaRonde (Montreal), the amusement park. Late in the summer they have fireworks displays and fireworks competitions.. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard that they are really beautiful." 

 I may just have to go up and visit her sometime soon!  :)

GIVEAWAY 

 How would you like to win this adorable lil girls hat?!!!  This hat is for a size 3-6 months.  This would make an awesome gift or a sweet hat to warm your lil ones head! Here is how the giveaway will work...as always, please follow my blog to participate and come back and post when you have completed a task so we can tally up entries.  Random.org will choose a winner.  Each task will be equal to one entry.

Tasks:

1.  Like Petite Tuques on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PetiteTuques and if you have not already, like my shop on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lil-Lollipops-Designs/114328484791

2.  Heart her shop and your favorite item in her Etsy shop then come back and tell us which item you hearted. http://www.etsy.com/shop/petitetuques 

3.  Add me and  her on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/petitetuques

http://twitter.com/#!/lillollipops

4.  Go to her website (which is great by the way) and tell us what you liked about the website.  http://petitetuques.com/ 

(is it user friendly, do you like the colors, to you like the sections, do you like the projects, etc).

Do all 4 tasks for a total of 4 entries into the giveaway which ends Friday, Oct. 14, 11 at 10pm Eastern Time. Good luck! 

Fall Features

Here are some great Autumn/Fall Treasuries in which some really cute kids things were featured, including some fall things from my Boutique. Lots of my fellow members from Etsy Kids Team as well. Enjoy!

Congrats to the WINNER of the KyandKin giveaway!!!

First I have to say I usually do giveaways on Wenesdays and Saturdays and a few Fridays as more and more people are wanting to join in the fun.  Today, I was going to feature petitetuques... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetiteTuques , I am going to have to post the giveaway tomorrow, Thursday.  Check back then for the giveaway and in the meantime, check out her site!!!  Great things for Fall and Winter!

 

Here is the list that Random.org randomized for the winner of the Kyandkin adorable headband!  Here is what Random.org did with the entries, once I put them into the randomizer...I cut and pasted it below:

List Randomizer

There were 14 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Calger63
2. Trisha
3. nancy
4. Maegan Morin
5. sarah crawford
6. The Raudenbush Family
7. Erin Foll
8. nancy
9. Sandi Potempa
10. Sandi Potempa
11. Erin Foll
12. Trisha
13. sarah crawford
14. The Raudenbush Family

Timestamp: 2011-09-29 02:53:36 UTC

CONGRATULATIONS CALGER63!!!!
Please go to her kyandkin's etsy shop and convo her that you won the giveaway here on my blog to claim your prize!!!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/kyandkin

KYandKIN braided headband giveaway!

Oh I am so sorry to keep you all in suspense....I know I said we would have the giveaway on the 26th...but some personal issues came up.  I will be posting the winners by 10pm tonight (my daughter's birthday by the way, 9/28 :))... that gives you 3 1/2 more hours to sign up.

please vote for me!

Please take a moment to vote for my Harvest outfit that I made for the Etsy Kids Challenge.  My outfit is number 31 Thanks!http://etsykids.blogspot.com/2011/09/etsykids-design-challenge-its-time-to.html

GIVEAWAY for mom and daughter from Trendy Lil Monkey!

 

This amazingly, adorable bow for your lil girl AND the earrings could be yours thanks to Trendy Lil Monkey.   The bow is not yet been put in her shop....so if you win...you will be THE FIRST to get this whimsical bow!  Two prizes for FREE!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/trendylilmonkey   

The shop owner and designer is a fellow Etsy Kids Member and her  name is Yaima.  We live in the same state in New England, so I am a bit partial.  :)  She is a 29 year old mom of 3 beautiful kids and wife to "a great husband who is able to understand my passion." She recently just started college 2 days ago and says, "I'm hoping for all A's!"  She calls herself a "crafty girl" and she enjoys scrapbooking, and anything handmade and whimsical.  She says "I love spending time outdoors with the family whether it be cook outs, beach, park with the lil' ones, theme parks and of course craft fairs! Thankfully this Summer has been perfect for all of this." 

Yaima makes some adorable bows and really cute earrings!  Her shop has only been open a little more than a year, so lets give her some love!  When I asked her about her shop she said, "Trendy Lil' Monkey is a Chic and Trendy children's shop designed with your precious lil' monkey in mind! We feature fabulous accessories for any occasion. I sell handmade accessories for lil' & big girls alike."  Big girls like me!  :)
"Our bows are made with layers of the highest quality grosgrain ribbon and are all sewn together securely."  I believe it!  Just look at this adorable one for Halloween!

 Yaima started making hair accessories when her first daughter was born (she is now 10 years old).  She made them because she loved to have the uniqueness of having something handmade for her lil one.  Until a year ago, she had been making them for family and friends and then decided to market her shop on the wonderful world of Etsy. I asked her how she went about picking her shop's name and she said, "I call all 3 of my kids my lil monkeys and 'Trendy' is perfect because I love to be on top of the latest trends as I'm sure most moms do as well.

Her inspirations are her two lil girls.  She says her ten year old still wears bows to school ("just not as loopy as they were when she was younger.").  Yaima says, "I love the way even the smallest accessory changes the complete look."  Yaima is  a dedicated mom and it must be hard to juggle everything with her shop.  So I asked her a bit about the juggling act.  "Being a mom of 3 kiddos two girls (10yr old and a 1 yr old) and a 2yr old boy(did I mention the last two are 10 months apart CrAzY!!!) is hard juggling school, home, soccer and business, but it's not impossible. I think once you have kids, you learn to adapt very well" she laughed.  "I love creating new things for the shop and it is a stress reliever. I must say, it feels great to know someone out there is wearing something you made with your two lil' hand."  I totally Agree! 

I had to ask her what some of her favorite Etsy Kids Shops were and these were the ones she listed (check them out if you get a chance):

goodygoodytutus http://www.etsy.com/shop/goodygoodytutus

kookycritters http://www.etsy.com/shop/kookycritters

birdyboots http://www.etsy.com/shop/birdyboots

maxandmagnolia http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaxandMagnolia 

                                  

 

 thecrazyelephant  http://www.etsy.com/shop/thecrazyelephant

"and I am now a new fan of your work as well" ... lol She HAD to say that!!! :)

Yaima says she likes being part of Etsy because " you get to showcase your work to an audience that appreciates it as much as you do, as well as meeting other designers like myself."

As always...I a love to ask an unexpected question so I asked: What are the first 5 things you would do if you won a million dollars?
"With a million dollars I would payoff my house, go on a long overdue vacation ,save some $$$ for the kids ,and buy lots of ribbon (I can't get enough!)"  

I hope, if you are reading this, you are inspired by the wife, mom, designer, business owner and now student!  She is showing us we can have it all and I for one am inspired that she is going to college.  I am going back myself this next semester for design!  :) 

GIVEAWAY

You will get one entry per thing that you do listed below.  After you do each thing, please come back to this post and comment that you did it, so I can figure out how many entered and how many entries you will get.  Please follow my blog first.  The Giveaway will end Friday, October 7 at 10pm Eastern time.

1. add Trendy Lil Monkey's Etsy Shop to your favorites on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/trendylilmonkey

2. Go to her facebook page and "like" it http://www.facebook.com/trendylilmonkey  if you like mine as well that will be a total of two entries http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lil-Lollipops-Designs/114328484791

3. Leave a comment on Trendy lil Monkey's facebook page about something you liked in the etsy shop or on the website http://www.trendylilmonkey.com

Not your ordinary Baby Ornament Giveaway! OOAK

The Hand Print Lady! n

 I posted the video above because I was thinking...why the Hand Print Lady?  I can get one of those kits form Micheal's....and then I saw this video and I totally agree with the second lady on here.  My prints turned out lame like that for my kids!  Bummer.  Wish I knew about the Hand Print Lady 4-6 years ago.  :)  I have posted some of my favorites from her Etsy Shop  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/handprintlady

The Hand Print Lady does have a name....Monica Lasich.  She is lives in my home town of So Cal (Southern California for you non So Callies).  How I miss Orange County...Irvine...Fashion Island...Newport....Huntington Beach...ahhhh.  I digress, back to business.  The Hand Print Lady sells boutique quality Heirloom Ceramic Hand and Footprint Keepsakes for families.  Oh and get this...you don't just have to live in So Cal...she has this awesome new Prints by Mail Kit!! 

 As far as what she can make...well just about anything you can get your hands on....haha yes a pun.  She makes hand/footprint ornaments, plaques, frames, vases, wind chimes, and garden stepping stones as well as hand print mugs, plates, and tiles.

Monica opened a ceramic studio in 1997 in Southern California. It was a paint your own ceramic shop, but she wanted everything handmade in the shop, so she made it all.  She taught pottery making on the wheel, hand building, sculpting, and painting.  One day someone asked if she could do some hand and footprint plaques of their baby.  Of course, she did.  

She eventually had to close the studio because she kept having more children, and needed to stay home with them (must have been the footprint she made for that baby...good omen).  She still felt the desire to touch clay.  After moving to a 2 bedroom apartment, all she could do was just baby hand and footprints, since many of her things were packed away.   She went full speed ahead from there.   She had been on Etsy since 2005 with a pottery shop.  {WAIT! How come it took me sooooo long to hear about ETSY??????!!!!  So many wasted years...lol.  Ok I digress again).  

Monica received so many requests from across the country and even worldwide about hand/footprint plaques.  When her sisters and extended family started having babies, she had to devise a technique to do the prints by mail since they all lived out of her area.  Finally she got the system down perfect.  She wiped her store clean fall of 2009. From that point on she offered only hand and footprint ceramics.  She says, "It's been the best thing I ever did."  {They always say...find one thing you do well and capitalize on it!  You go girl! }

I asked her what inspires her art and she said, "Families inspire my art.  That, and my love for clay (my husband said it was worse than a heroin addiction once)."  That's ok Monica...I love designing and sewing so much my husband says I am my own sweat shop since I make no profit at the end of the year.  :)

Monica's says, "Clay will always be my favorite medium.  I'm so obsessed, when I visit anyone's house, all I do is look for ceramics and I have to pick them up and touch them."

I asked Monica how she juggles being a mom and a business owner/artist.  She told me she is a mother of 6 (yes, 6) children.  {uh, what? wow.}  "They've been my hand print "models" for 21 years now.  It works perfectly having a 3 year old at home and having moms, dads, grandparents, and families into my home to do the prints.  My mail order work is done in the early am after the older ones get to school, and then I can work right next to my 3 yr old daughter when she is playing beside me.  She's really good at not touching mommy's stuff now.  She likes all the kids who come over to 'visit'."  Now I am wondering....how her lil one will grow up seeing all that.  I think a future Picasso is being molded.
                                                                                                         LOVE THIS!!! SO SO CAL

When asked about Etsy, "I love being part of a community on Etsy.  Relationships are built, even more than a sale for me, due to the nature of my work." 

When asked about the music that inspires her she said, "I love working to Cobbie Callait, Jason Mraz, John Meyer."

"I am 46, and didn't discover my calling until I was 32.  I tell everyone it is never to late to discover your talent!" - Monica  Lasich

 She also didn't mention that she does not look a day over 30 and is so pretty!!!  :)

BTW She didn't mention, but I will, that she is also in the business of helping other moms and people start their own hand print business.  What a way to give back!  You can find out more about that on her blog here:http://handprintlady.blogspot.com/p/own-your-own-business-doing-handprints.html

Monica has been VERY generous to giveaway a FREE Hand print Christmas Ornament!!!  Something like this: 

 

This would be an amazing gift for someone or just to adorn your tree with memories of your lil one when they were lil.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/48685568/ceramic-handprint-or-footprint-ornament

Monica wants to make sure you get this before Christmas before the holiday rush really picks up, so this giveaway will end on Oct. 1, Saturday and will be done by random.org.  I will announce the winner Saturday after 10pm Eastern

How to enter:

After you do each thing below...come back and comment on this post about what you did otherwise we can not keep track.  Thanks! Remember: the more entries you have, the better your chances of wining.

1. please follow my blog here....one entry

2.  Follow her blog .... two entries  http://handprintlady.blogspot.com/

3.  Like her and me (if you have not already) on Facebook... three entries   

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lil-Lollipops-Designs/114328484791

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handprintlady-Ceramic-Plaques/80443629762

4.  Tell us your favorite item in her shop....four entries

http://www.etsy.com/shop/handprintlady 

5.  Buy something from her shop or webpage and you can get  EIGHT ENTRIES!!! ( if you got all the others too you would have 18 entries..if I did my math correct!)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/handprintlady

http://www.handprintlady.com/

Lil Lollipops Designs: DIY Themed Parties

Lil Lollipops Designs: DIY Themed Parties: MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY I am way too creative for my own good. Probably a good thing that I don't work outside of the home or I ...

$65.00 FREE birthday outfit GIVEAWAY!!!

For those of you who have never been to Snickerdoodle http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnickerDoodleSpokane.....now is the time to go check it out!!  Not only has the designer and owner, Erica Schmautz, given us an AWESOME giveaway...but she has some really CUTE things for kids and babies with GREAT quality!  Erica makes clothing that has been appliqued and stitched with a vintage look. All items are hand made.  Snickerdoodle carries everything from adorable onsies and tees, to burp cloths, to tutus, to children's accessories and some costume items as well.

Erica says, "I have been married for 7 years to a wonderful husband who supports me in every way. We have a 3 year old son who is all boy!
I have always been someone who needs to find a creative outlet and I am lucky that I have found two that I am passionate for. SnickerDoodles has been a great adventure and has made me do something I never thought possible!"

Snickerdoodle designs came about a year ago. Erica needed a birthday shirt for my son and didn't want it to look like it was from a "chain store".  She made one and the shop evolved from there.  Her designs are inspired by many things around her in her daily life like children books, her son, fabrics, etc. Erica says, "I am always thinking about the next idea and how it can be created. I am also an Event/ Wedding florist and I get a lot of inspiration there with color and textures."

So I was wondering....why the name snickerdoodle? Does she like those cookies?  When I asked her she said,"Picking a name is hard work! I wanted something unique that put my brand in a bubble. I also wanting it to reflect the fun, whimsical feel my items had. I call my son SnickerDoodle on an occasion and it always makes him smile when I do. I liked how it felt with my brand and how I wanted it to come across. "  So cute, right??  I think the name fits the shop well.  There is lots of whimsy, fun, and creativity in that name for sure!
 
Since many of us are Moms...some of us stay home with the kids, some of us work outside the home, and some of us work inside the home and take care of our kids.  I want to know...how do you juggle it all, Erica? "The best part about my jobs is that I work from home. I have 2 businesses: Erica's Expressions Floral Designs and SnickerDoodle Custom Crafts.  I am very busy with both, but I have found that my family is the best job. I play superhero and cars by morning and by night fall....I because business person. It is always busy in my house hold and I couldn't ask for it to be any different."  Awesome!
Erica likes being a shop on Etsy.com because it has open the doors for her shop in many ways. Erica feels she can reach out to many different people that she couldn't reach out to before. She says, "SnickerDoodle is currently in stores, but this gets it out to a much larger market. Its a great place for creative people to sell their items and also to find some great things that you wouldn't have found elsewhere. "  That is so true.  I always tell people when they say, "What is Etsy?' that if you have someone that has everything and you need to buy them a gift....go to Etsy.  If you want to give some one a personal gift, go to Etsy.  If you want to buy a one of a kind gift, go to Etsy.  If you want any of those things for you or your family, go to Etsy.  If you just LOVE shopping....ETSY!!!  :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnickerDoodleSpokane

As always...I love to ask an off the wall question...so I asked her if she could give me a color an an animal that would best describe her personality she said this: "Probably a pink zebra. I'm very basic and practical but not afraid of being out there and noticed!"


GIVEAWAY!


You are NOT going to believe what Erica has offered for this giveaway!!  What she is giving away is valued at $65.00!!!  WOW!  The winner of this giveaway will when one birthday outfit of their choice.  They can choose either a Superhero Birthday Outfit or a Birthday Ballerina.  The winner picks size, color theme and number. 
Birthday Ballerina: Tutu and Shirt with custom color theme and number
Superhero: Shirt and Superhero cape with matching mask. Custom color theme and number
***Cape Will have just the number on the back- Comes in Royal Blue, Light Blue, Red, and Hot Pink
***Shirts on can be in any sizes but only white.
**Winner picks one of the two outfits**

Superhero

 

Birthday Ballerina

















So here is how you win this AMAZING prize!
Please, first follow my blog, I will be featuring new giveaways every Sat. and Wed. unil mid December from tons of different shops on Etsy!  :)
If you heart or favorite Snickerdoodle on Etsy you will get one entry :
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnickerDoodleSpokane   Please come back to this blog post and comment when you have done this


If you like her Facebook page you will get two entries:
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/SnickerDoodle/146189152118824
Please come back to this blog post and comment when you have done this


If you purchase ANYTHING in her shop you will get 5 entries in the drawing!
Please come back to this blog post and comment when you have done this with the transaction number.


If you do all of them that is a total of 8 ENTRIES which will give you some great odds!
All entries must be received by Sept. 30 at 9:00pm Eastern time.  At that time I will have the drawing through Random.org


I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE WHO WINS!!!!!!!




 

AND THE WINNER IS.........

Wish I had a drum role sound you could hear about now....
AND
             THE
                      WINNER
                                 for the SADIE BLOOM DESIGNS headband
                                                                                     
                                                                     IS...........................

TRISHA!!!!!!!!  

Trisha...please contact Marisa via convo on her Etsy shop to claim your prize.

Thank you Sandie Bloom Designs (Marisa) for your 

very generous giveaway.

For more of her designs check her out on her etsy site:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SadieBloomDesigns 

Don't forget.....

If you have not entered our other giveaway yet for the kyandkin adorable braided headband you can enter here (just a few more days): http://lillollipopsdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/juggling-mommy-and-designer-meet.html

This is what I got when I put in your entries to Random.org :

There were 21 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. trisha2
2. sheila1
3. nancy6
4. trisha1
5. nancy2
6. sandi3
7. eni1
8. nancy3
9. nancy8
10. nancy5
11. nancy4
12. trisha3
13. nancy7
14. karen2
15. Nancy1
16. sandi2
17. eni2
18. sandi1
19. sheila2
20. karen1
21. karen3

Giveaway extended to on more day!

Drawing for Sadie Bloom Designs has been pushed to tomorrow afternoon, Sunday.  ONE MORE DAY TO ENTER!!!
Look here to enter giveaway by Sunday:
http://lillollipopsdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-giveaway-from-sadie-bloom-designs.html

Also, we will have a new giveaway and feature up tmw from Snicker Doodle Spokane ...another GREAT ETSY shop!

Juggling Mommy and Designer - meet the designer behind kyandkin and get a FREE gift too!

kyandkin http://www.etsy.com/shop/kyandkin is a  children's boutique with an organic vibe.  The shop caught my eye while surfing through my Etsy Team, Etsy Kids (kyandkin is also an Etsy Kids Team member).  The designs elegant simplicity has echos of Calvin Klein with a touch of Esprit.   Clean lines, natural colors and a retro classicism repeat throughout the shop. This style in this shop reminds me of Nordic designers I have seen such as the children's line: Monamici.

                              Calvin Klein tunic (she could totally design for CK)

  

                                                      

KyandKin's Dressy Tunic                                                                          

The face behind kyandkin is Heather, a Navy wife of two lil girls who inspire her.  She describes her line as free flowing and comfortable.  She says "I wanted to make clothes for my girls and other children that were something a little different from the norm, something that they are comfortable in and something that they can run and play freely while still being able to look stylish." She "lives with the idea of quality over quantity" and sews each piece as if her own children would wear them.  Her love for each piece is very evident.  Heather says, "I always fall in love with particular styles that are way over priced and I can never afford them.  Due to the fact that children grow so fast, I thought it would be a waste of money.  With that in mind, I started to make clothes that I would have loved to wear as a child and would be good on the pockets as well."

Heather is a big supporter of small businesses and tries to buy all her supplies from local shops or other online supply shops such as Etsy supply shops.  She wants to "give back to others" by supporting them with her purchasing from them and not the huge brand name shops.

Heather is so excited about her shop and new trade.  "I had sewn for years, and had started with selling handbags to friends and family a few years ago, but I knew that there was something else that I was even more interested in but just couldn’t put my finger on it…until I had my second little girl. I had finally found something that I LOVED to put my time and effort into, something that I just can’t get enough of. The time I put into my shop is time that I love to put aside. It is something that’s freeing, a little “outlet” of mine where I can relax and take in my day piece by piece. I use every opportunity to get a little work done, whether it’s early in the morning before my girls wake up, during a nap, or after they’re fast asleep. My business is a dream that I can’t stop thinking about, which is what I always wanted for myself." ( I feel the same way Heather! )

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kyandkin

 It is so important for us Moms, especially stay at home moms, to not lose our identity in our kids.  It is not healthy for us or them.  Yes we are Mommy...but we are also a wife, and a individual.  I love how Heather is a mom, wife, Navy wife, and she is Heather....the designer.  She juggles it all well.  I am always pushing for moms to hold onto their identity.  Heather exemplifies this.  She has pride not only in being a mom and a wife, but in herself and her individual qualities and talents.  Now I know many moms are thinking..."How in the world can I juggle finding time to focus on my interests and talents???!!!"  Heather says, "It's difficult to make sure I set aside time for EVERYTHING, but somehow things are working out perfectly.  I have 2 amazing girls and my oldest is able to help me do certain things and it makes her feel like she's a part of it too!  I do work on the weekends, Fri - Sunday all day long!  I try to get in the most hours I can while my amazing husband is able to watch the kids and spend his quality time with them."  Amen to amazing husbands!!!! OH...and COFFEE!!!!! :)

I asked Heather how she came up with the very cute and catching name kyandkin and she said, "kyandkin came from my two little girls - Kylie Rainn and Kinley River (the name kyandkin is all one word and lowercase - because of my "little" girls)."

  

             One of my favorites in her shop!      awesome detail in theback                                                                                

When Heather was asked her four favorite Etsy Kids shops she replied, "This is a really HARD question, I can't really put my finger on just a few.  There are so many I love for different reasons. I know that we all try so hard to give our very best in each item that we sell and promote.  I love the overall energy that comes from the etsy kids shops.  Everyone that I have come across is absolutely amazing and has helped me learn different things."  That a way girlie!  Diplomat of Etsy Kids.  :)  She is going to make lots of friends with that answer.  

Heather says she loves being on Etsy because, "I love the help that's available from all over.  No one has denied my questions 

when asked and everyone seems to WANT to help.  I also love the diversity of shops and designs and the ability to be able to create whatever you want.  In addition, it's handmade, that's just special in itself."  If you are a crafter or Artist...get on Etsy if you have not already!  If you just like to find original things, support local, small businesses or just like to get a great one of a kind gift for someone....hop on over to etsy.com .

 As always...my artsy, crazy nature wanted to know something off the wall about Heather so I asked her: If you were going to be put on a deserted island for a month...and you knew in advance, what 2 things would you bring?  Oh goodness, that's a tough one....water and a BOAT...haha...I'm a people person so I would need to get OFF the island as fast as I could!

 Now for the GIVEAWAY!!!  Win this adorable, boho, baby headband!  This is a great one of a kind item that she sells in her shop, but has been generous enough to offer for FREE to the winner of this giveaway which will be chosen by random.org

 

As with all giveaways...follow my blog first so you can comment to enter the giveaway.

 We will make this one simple:

1. Add kyandkin on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kyandkin

and leave her a post on her wall saying Lil Lollipops Designs.blogspot.com sent you. (this will give you one entry) PLEASE COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE A COMMENT THAT YOU DID IT!

2.  come back to this post and add a comment telling us what your favorite item in her shop is and why http://www.etsy.com/shop/kyandkin  

(this will give you a second entry into the drawing) 

All entries must be in by Sept. 26 by 10pm Eastern Time. Names will be drawn via random.org and the winner will be announced Sept. 26 after 10pm.