Why are frogs so happy?
Because they eat whatever bugs them!
What is a frog’s favorite flower?
A croak-us!
Save the date and buy tickets now for
April 18th
Frogs & Sunshine Paint Party
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Category: Handmade
Weedis Victorious
If you live in Ohio I hope it is too early in the season for you to be putting this comic latin weedis victorious plant pick in your flower garden. Beware. It won’t be long before the weeds will be victorious if allowed.
Now is a good time to be putting down a pre-emergent in your flower beds. 
At our house we use Snapshot which contains the active ingredients isoxaben and trifluralin. Another popular pre-emergent is Preen which contains the active ingredient of trifluralin.
Generally speaking these products do not kill weeds. They simply keep new weeds from sprouting. Don’t use these products on areas seeded with flowers that have not yet germinated. It can be used after flowering plants have germinated and are 2 – 3 inches tall.
Taking the time to put down a pre-emergent now will save you from having to waste time pulling weeds later. Instead you’ll be able to spend more time enjoying your flowers. These products are not labeled for use on all vegetables. Be sure to check the label before applying to a vegetable garden. Also, be sure to check the label to know when it is time for a reapplication.
When in doubt, check the label. Check the label. Check the label. Chemicals can be a great help, but when used carelessly they don’t work properly, or worse, can be harmful.
If by chance weeds become victorious in your yard or garden you know where to find signage for them. Or maybe you have something magnificent that this would be appropriate for.
Which one is your favorite?
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I Will Make 114 Mistakes
For 2017 I have joined a book reading group and am currently reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. So far this is my favorite quote from the book:
“I am a man because I err! You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen.”
This is the ring I bought at a craft show toward the end of last year. The woman making the jewelry was crafting bracelets, necklaces and rings from old silverware or flatware. When I was looking at the rings she explained to me that this one was the first ring she had made. That was why it was not perfectly round like the rest. I bought the ring because I immediately wanted it as a reminder not to get frustrated with myself when I make mistakes.
I need to always keep in mind that my mistakes are just part of learning. 
Prior to that I had started making sleep masks and was frustrated because in effort to produce more at a time I miscalculated and ended up making slightly smaller masks. Not the end of the world, but I wanted them all to be the same. (Another previous mistake has taught me that too much choice in size and color sometimes paralyzes customers and they end up not making a purchase.)
Not only do I make mistakes when crafting, I also make mistakes at work. I make mistakes when I’m baking. I make mistakes when helping my kids with their homework. Most frustrating of all, sometimes I make mistakes when I hear someone’s idea and think it is true and believe it for a while letting it influence my actions.
For instance, I once believed the idea I heard or read when I was younger not to write about your own life because people don’t want to read about your boring life. Now I can see that obviously that is not true. We have reality shows all over the place and blogs of ordinary lives sometimes go viral. I can see some truth in the idea, but at the same time I can now allow myself to use ideas and scenes from my own life in my writing.
I purposely used a couple of harmless examples, but there are many more I could remember that had worse consequences. However, I have also learned not to dwell on mistakes.
The best thing I can do when I realize I’ve made a mistake is to own it, fix it if possible, and keep moving forward. Hopefully I won’t have to make a different version of the same mistake 114 times, but if I do I’ll have to accept that the cookie crumbles that way sometimes.
Sometimes mistakes aren’t even noticeable to others. People can’t tell my ring isn’t round when I wear it.
I don’t have to get everything right on the first try.
Make It With Your Own Hands
This week’s Wrap It Up Wednesday 2016 gift idea is a handmade gift. Some people have the misconception that if they make something the gift won’t be as valuable because it doesn’t cost as much. We find this can be so untrue! Sometimes it is less expensive to do it yourself (DIY). Other times it is more expensive to gather all the supplies you need and make a gift yourself. Not only that, but making the gift you are giving can be time consuming… and we all know time is money. So please don’t think that just because you make something for someone that it won’t be valued. Many people can appreciate the time and money spent on a handmade gift and will cherish and remember it even more.
Today, however, we are picturing a gift that will likely only cost your time. This assumes that you already have some paper to use and something to draw and color with. Recently we had some fun making bookmarks for those people on our list who we are giving books to. I admit this is just me scratching a personal itch. Over the years it has become annoying to me how much bookmarks cost. The same goes for greeting cards, but that will have to be another post for some other day.
Making a bookmark is just one example of a handmade gift that you could give someone for Christmas this year. Handmade jewelry like bracelets, necklaces, or earrings are some ideas you might think about giving this year. Handmade wood items are also popular to make. You could make a frame, bookends, or a piece of yard art. Speaking of art, draw a picture and you can easily put it on a mug, canvas, or mouse pad and give it as a gift. Baked goods are another popular handmade gift that I’ve often received and enjoy.
I think handmade gifts are a great way to personalize a gift making it inspirational or perhaps funny. I always appreciate and remember a personalized gift. To me it shows that thought and love was put into the gift.
Maybe you don’t have a do it yourself bone in your body. Maybe you think you don’t have an ounce of creative energy in you. In this case (although I doubt it is true), I recommend doing a little shopping at local craft shows or perhaps take a look at Etsy.
Here are some of my finds from doing a little bit of shopping at craft shows this year. This is a pair of earrings I bought for $12. One thing I like about them is that while I was browsing the woman who made them said, “Yes, I like to make things that are unusual.” This is a reminder to me that everyone has a different perspective. To me there really isn’t anything terribly unusual about them. I picked them out for the exact opposite reason. I thought they looked like a neutral pair of earrings that I could wear with lots of different outfits. (Perhaps that was just part of her spiel and she says it no matter what a person picks up.) Another one of my jewelry buys was this ring made from the handle of an old piece of flatware.
This ring also has a little story to go with it. I like it because it reminds me that I don’t have to get everything perfect on my first try. Also, to me it is a whimsical piece that makes me smile.
I bought a flu bomb made from essential oils which ended up leading me to a Twelve Sprays of Christmas make and take party. Earlier in the fall at another craft show, I bought a Frankenstein made from wood which went nicely with some wood pumpkins that I already had.
As you might guess the problem I have with being a vendor at a craft show is that I sometimes spend my earnings before I even get home.
Maybe you have a handmade gift that you love to give.
Or maybe you have received a handmade gift in that past that touched your heart.
Feel free to comment and tell us all about it.
Little Gift Shop OH 