Vicky Vinson's Itty Bitty Farm

I've always felt that one of the best parts of any job is getting to know your coworkers. At the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co., because we are an online company, we have employees all over the country. I feel lucky to get a glimpse of what life is like allover, not just New York where I currently live.

Vicky Vinson is one of, if not the, most important people at the Warm Biscuit. Not only does she paint all of our custom kids furniture, but she oversees monogramming and manages our fabric warehouse. She is truly incredible.

The other day when I asked how she was doing, she mentioned having to make some emergency chicken coop repairs in the middle of the night. I had no idea she had a farm! I asked her to share a little bit about her farm, and this was her response:

"We have approximately 20 chickens, which are various sizes and colors. When the weather is warm, they lay eggs faithfully and we give away to friends and neighbors, who appreciate farm fresh eggs.

We recently acquired 2 little hens (black silkies) and one proud rooster (he is a white silkie). My nieces raised them from little chicks and unfortunately it is against the city ordinance to have chickens, and of course the rooster insists on letting the neighborhood know he can CROW. So, they have come to the itty bitty farm. These three live together, while the others roam freely and intermingle.

We also have 4 pet sheep. Two were hand raised by me, bottle, diapers, the whole 9 yds. Since their momma died and it was winter. I had to bring them in the house (hence the diapers) and make them strong! What a trip that was!

We have 1 pair of geese, which was given to us by someone forsaking the country life for city life.

All the animals live happily with one another.

That's the current itty bitty farm report!"

Etsy Inspiration

I just love Etsy. There are so many creative people doing amazing beautiful things. This week I am going to do a round up with an animal theme.

I think these puppy dog pillows from Plain Jane Fabrics are super cute. I also am a sucker for gingham fabric and bright colors, so that could be why. Plus, I think silkscreens always look great, it's a skill Ireally wish I had.

This possum heart hair clip has to be one the most adorable gifts I've seen on Etsy for Valentines Day. Needle felted by Beth Vivian. She has other possum themed Valentines Day gifts.

I have a soft spot for owls-- they are my favorite animal. But I think this owl fabric pillow is really great. I like how the bright red polka dot works with the owl's kooky eyes.

Hope these were inspiring for you too!

Dirt Good for Kids?

That's right. Dirt. Germs. All of those things that caring mothers everywhere thought they needed to protect their kids from might actually be, well, good for them.

In a really interesting article in the NY Times yesterday, it turns out that the tendency of babies to stick everything in their mouth is not just to make you worried as a parent-- it's actually an evolutionary mechanism to strengthen their immune system! While obviously there is a limit to how much dirt is good for a kid, there is truth to that old saying "eat a bucket of dirt before you die."

This was for me the most interesting part of the article:

“Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” Dr. Weinstock said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

I don't know about all of you, but I grew up with great parents, but parents that let me run a little wild as a kid. I have distinct memories of doing things as a kid that would make me, as a parent now, cringe if I saw my child doing them. Like running in the woods without shoes, like wading up to my waist in a creek that had less than clean water (to put it mildly), like eating food that had fallen on the dirty ground outside, etc. Living in the city has made me a very different parent than my own parents-- you obviously don't let your kids run around without shoes in New York!

Still, this article got me wondering if maybe I kept my kids too clean as toddlers. I grew up allergy free, dirt and all, whereas my kids grew up in a much cleaner environment, and all three have allergies and one has asthma. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it is certainly food for thought.

Valentines Day Sewing Crafts

Valentines is around two weeks away, which is still plenty of time to get some fabric and do a sewing project.

Yo-yos are great way to use up scrap fabric, and these heart yo-yos are adorable. I especially like the fact that it's a great way to highlight unique buttons -- I've always collected old vintage mismatched buttons at yard sales, so I've got quite a collection. Penny Sanford provides detailed instructions and a free pattern you can print out for this easy fabric project. Ideas for how to use these yo-yos: on a girls headband, on a scrunchie or barette, as a pin, or as a really homemade decoration on a gift.

Valentines is the last holiday that you really get to decorate for until Easter, which is still two months away. So I really love this idea for a Valentines Day garland that I first saw featured over at Sew Mama Sew. It originally came from the Green Kitchen, and you can find the instructions here. If gives instructions, and where you can download the image she uses so that you can print it out. Basically, she scanned some fabric she loved, and made it into a heart. If you have a scanner at home, you could pick out any favorite red knit sweater or material and do the same! Such a crafty idea.

This stuffed heart is an easy craft project, and makes a great gift for kids. Over at Craft Elf they have instructions as well as a printable pattern for this special Valentine Heart. I could see this as a nice base to get a little fancy with. Maybe a ruffled gingham border around the heart, or maybe a more quilted look to the heart by using different shades of pink and red.

Monday Giveaway

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Congratulations to Janetfaye for winning last week's giveaway. I hope you and the lucky kid enjoys their monogrammed apron.

I really loved reading all of your comments about your different culinary creations! Sounds like you all know how to make savory meals and sweet baked treats. There's no better way to keep cosy in the winter than turning on the oven.

This week we will be giving away a monogrammed Valentines Day candy bag for kids to two luck winners. These are the perfect place for all your child's treats and handmade cards. Kids will love bringing these to school as they trade Valentines with all their friends. We monogram it for your with their name or a phrase to give it a personalized touch. Pink Bags are the larger size. Mini Red bag is smaller.

Here is how to win a personalized Valentines Day bag:

1. Leave a comment about your most memorable Valentines Day or the best Valentines Day card you ever received.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other Valentines Day gifts that they sell.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, February 1st, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Fabric Crafts and a Fabric Sale!

It has been a cold week! Here's some more fabric craft ideas to cosy up with.

Fabric Covered Journal
Seasonal Delights Magazine posted detailed instructed for a fabric covered journal. What I like about this craft is that not only do you get the enjoyment from making the craft, but then you have a journal (or address book) to fill out. I really like the addition of some rick rac trim border.

From Design Sponge Shop we have the fun idea of stamping fabric to make a really unique item. The photo shows a hand towel she made- how adorable is that! She uses stamps she got from the Yellow Owl Workshop (a very artistic and fun site to check out) but you could easily make your own. For directions on how to make your own rubber stamps out of one of those classic pink erasures, click here.

And to help you get started, here's the fabric deal this week. Call in and mention this blog, and you get a 10% the price of any of these fabrics. From left to right: Lavender Lotus, Sweet Pea Birdy Pink, and Pink Passion Flower. If you can't tell, I'm feeling floral and girly this week.

Hope and Responsibility

Photo Credit: NY Times

In honor of the inauguration today of the 44th President of the United States, I decided to make up two lists. The first is things that I am hopeful about. With the economy the way it is, I think it's important to remember all we have in our lives to be excited about. The second list touches on the theme of Obama's inauguration address; responsibility. Our hopes and dreams can never become reality unless we take responsibility for realizing them. I've felt this way for awhile, but it can never hurt to remind myself of this.

What I am hopeful about:

1. My oldest will be graduating elementary school and entering middle school, and I think he will do great.

2. Valentines Day will be here soon, and it always puts me in a good mood to see my kids swapping Valentines Day cards and the bouquet of flowers from my husband, whose support I am grateful to have.

3. I think that as hard as the economy is, people are going to find out that they are more creative and capable than they once thought. Already more people are crafting instead of buying, and you hear of more people gardening to avoid rising food prices. Americans are smart and full of ingenuity. I am hopeful we will get through this, and we will come out stronger and more resourceful in the end.

What I will be responsible for:

1. Making sure I carve out time every evening to help my boys for their homework, and every weekend for trips to museums and other activities to help them grow.

2. Reminding myself what the really important things in life are, and never taking them for granted. I remember my mom would always tell me, "think of how you are like after something really good happens to you...that positive energy will make other people want to be around you."

3. Giving back more. My father who is 78 recently organized a food drive in his neighborhood to help out people really hurting these days. As he puts it, "it wasn't that hard." We can all do something, and he reminded me that I could be doing more.

Monday Giveaway

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. My boys kept wanting to go ice skating, despite the cold. They are just totally hooked on this.

Congratulations to Tuesday Girl for winning our personalized girls Valentines Day necklace.

Following on the Valentines Day theme, this week we will be giving away one of our exclusive girls aprons. The red apron can be used as an art smock for messy craft projects just as easily as for keeping clean in the kitchen next time you cook up something with you're little helper! This apron is perfect for Valentines, or any day of the year! If you've got a little boy, feel free to opt for this adorable boys gone fishing smock.

Here is how to win one of these kids aprons:

1. Leave a comment on something tasty you created in your kitchen lately.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other kids aprons and kitchen toys that they sell.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, January 25th, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

"A Miracle on the Hudson"

Photo Credit: NY Times

New York Governor Patterson is calling this a miracle on the Hudson, and I could not agree more. In case you have not seen a paper recently, a U.S. Airways plane landed in the Hudson river yesterday afternoon around 3:30 pm.

The miracle part? Everyone survived, and nobody suffered more than minor injuries and hypothermia. If the pilot had landed the plane at too steep an angle, the plane could have gone straight to the bottom of the river.

To read more, and to see more photographs, click here.

Kids Arts and Crafts on a Budget

Kid's crafts do not need to be elaborate. On cold winter afternoons when you need a way to keep your kids active, you don't need to spend on a lot of money on supplies. Here are a couple ideas for art projects that won't break the bank that your kids will really enjoy.

If you live near a park, get the kids out of the house and take a walk to look for pine cones. When you get home, let the kids paint them any color of the rainbow they like. Pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and feathers allow you to turn these into a wide variety of critters. Let imaginations go wild!

If you're like me, you have too many old jars lying around that you're "saving" as Tupperware, but don't really need. So let your kids turn them into artistic trinket container! This craft is perfect to do with your kids, especially if they have collections or just tons of odds and ends that need organizing. Click here for instructions on how to do it. Basically, besides from a jar all you need is some paint, stickers, and mod podge. Easy and inexpensive, with plenty of room to experiment and be creative!

Give your kids a little art history about ancient Rome and Greece, and spend an afternoon making a paper mosaic on the back of a paper plate. Arts and crafts stores sell bags of paper precut to small squares, or you can just search through magazines and cut out blocks of color as needed.

Just a Little Inspiration

Whenever I'm feeling a little down or low on energy, I find that looking at beautiful work that creative people are doing always makes me feel better. It's almost as great as talking with a close friend over a cup of strong coffee. Reminding yourself that people all over the world are doing great things is important, and the internet makes this easier than ever.

Here's a couple of sites I've found recently that I find inspiring. I hope you do too!

Paula Sanz Caballero makes fantastic pieces with fabric that are just gorgeous. Check them out.

I always loved wearing a tiara on my birthday, but I never had anything like this! Barbara Walton's fairy godmother makes fabric crowns that will amaze you. Totally worth the click.

I had so many stuffed animals as a kid, and Lizette Greco might just be the master of unique soft creations. Her work is so imaginative, looking through her photographs on flickr will make you want to be a child again. Just look at these squids:

Hope these put a smile on your face!

Valentines Jewelry for Mom's and Girls

Following our giveaway this week of the adorable personalized girls charm bracelet, I thought I would do a feature on other great jewelry we sell over at The Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. that are perfect gifts for that special girl or mom on Valentines Day. The deadline for orders for all of these pieces is January 30th.

The personalized girls heart necklace will make any girl feel extra special. Pick either her name or word of your choice to customize it. Seven letters or fewer work best. It is attached to sterling silver chain and is off-set by antiqued sterling silver chain and freshwater pearls.

Our sterling silver heart locket is a sweet way to let your little girl keep a photo of a loved one close to her heart. Our girls heart locket comes on a 16" silver chain and is personalized with either your child's name or their initial.

This mom love necklace is a special way to celebrate the loving foundation of motherhood. The heart shaped pendant is about 3/4 in and has a smooth finish, the circle pendant has a hammered texture and is slightly more than 1 in in diameter and can fit 3 or 4 names or a phrase of your choosing.

The love necklace makes for a great necklace for a girl or as a choker for a mom. The love necklace features freshwater pearls. The word "LOVE" is spelled out on stamped sterling silver pendants, that are a half inch wide.

The personalized heart necklace is just one more way to celebrate Valentines Day. The Heart measures 1 in x 3/4 and can fit 3 or 4 names and up to 8 letters per line. The small charm can fit up to 8 letters and is 1/2 in. in size.

Monday Giveaway

Hope you all had a fabulous winter weekend! I decided not to fight the cold, and take advantage of it instead. I took my three boys ice skating, and though I admit to falling down a couple of times, we all had a lot of fun. And coming home and drinking some hot cocoa to warm up was such a great feeling. I love that having kids reminds me about how simple being happy can be.

On that note, congratulations to the blubaughs for winning last weeks giveaway of one of our personalized kids plate! You can expect a email soon.

This week for the giveaway is a little extra special. We are featuring a gift that is just in time for Valentines day. Little girls love jewelry, so here's a chance to give a special child a gift that will dazzle her. From artisan Shannon Sunderland, we have this darling personalized silver girls charm necklace, with a little heart charm that's perfect for the holiday.

Here's how to win this personalized girls charm necklace.

1. Leave a comment on your favorite thing about Valentines Day.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other personalized jewelry that they sell.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, January 18th, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Forced Flu Vaccination for Kids

As you may have heard, New Jersey recently mandated that all kids who attend daycare or school and are between the ages of 6 months and 5 years get the flu vaccination. The deadline was December 31st, and as the New York Times reported a week ago, not all parents were very happy about this.

Parents who attended a protest said that they felt it should be choice whether or not their kids were vaccinated. Many also cited the fear that vaccines can lead to autism, though recent studies show no such link exists.

Public Health officials counter that this vaccine, if universal, could stem the virus from spreading entirely. Kids (as I'm sure you know!) are amazing at spreading germs, and are especially likely to get sick in flu season.

The penalty for not complying is pretty severe- unvaccinated kids will not be allowed to go school unless they can prove that they have a doctor's appointment to get the vaccine within two weeks after the deadline. While I'm personally in support of protecting my kids with vaccination, I'm not sure how I would feel about the government baring other kids from school.

So what do you think? If you're state did what New Jersey did, would you be happy?

Toy Sale!

Over at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. we have some toys on sale that are super cute, and figured maybe some of you might be interested.

Our Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game will have the birthday boy or girl spinning with delight. It comes in a beautifully designed box by childrens' book illustrator, Holly Berry. Pin the Tail Game includes (32) removable sticker "tails" and a custom made cotton bandanna blindfold.

Every little pirate needs a sturdy strongbox for his plundered bottle caps and baseball cards. Help your little boy keep his collections safe with this wooden pirate chest. Comes equipped with a skull shaped lock, metal handles and secret hiding compartment for pirate booty. Includes sack of gold coins, eye patch and flag for pirate play.

Let your little girl travel or go to a sleepover in style with this rose oilcloth suitcase. The adorable pink and green floral and gingham oil cloth fabric makes this suitcase a great gift for any girl.

Just click this link if you want to find more kids toys and gear on sale.

Children's Saftey vs. Small Businesses?

I never thought I would see the interests of child safety risk to destroy the fabric of American business.

I'm sure you all know that most businesses in America are small businesses, but maybe you did not know just how true this is. According to the U.S. Census, in 2002 around 75% of all businesses in America are so small that they do not have any employees! Of those small businesses that do employ other people, in 2004 over 50% employ only 1-9 people.

As a small business owner, they are obviously close to my heart. But while I might be biased, everyone benefits from living in a country where individuals can turn ideas into small companies. As a result we have a diversity of products, more jobs, and more of a connection to the people we buy from. Starbucks might have great coffee, but it's missing something when compared to that local coffee shop where the owner knows your name and how many packets of sugar you like.

But I'm getting a little side tracked. So what does child safety have to do with all of this? Well, on August 14, 2008, President Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act into law. The main inspiration was the understandable fear of many parents over lead content in toys. This is an issue that I am 100% behind. It's the reason The Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. does not sell any toys or products from any country outside of America and Europe, and why I make efforts to carry organic kids clothes and toys.

But I'm worried about this law. As of February 10, a limit on all products used by kids (clothes, bedding, fabric, toys, dishes...I mean everything) must be tested for lead content and be below a certain level. Not just new products, but old products too. By August this test must be done in a 3rd party laboratory. So what does this mean for a small business? Well, say I sell a kids apron made of cotton fabric that is American made. I have to pay a considerable fee to test each and every material that is used, fabric, thread, buttons, lace, all parts. And the fee is per item tested. Or I can rent out a lead laser gun for anywhere between $100-$400 a day, which won't even have me covered with the requirements that will come into affect in August. A large business can easily eat this cost, but there's a reason why a blog National Bankruptcy Day popped up just in regards to this law.

If you want to learn more, The Smart Mama, a blog dedicated to helping mothers raise healthy and happy kids, is a great resource. As she points out, this law will totally destroy the resale business. There is no way a place like the Salvation Army can afford to have a lead laser gun on hand to scan every single piece of kids clothing or toys that is donated. The result? It will be impossible for people to buy used kids clothing (no more hand-me-downs!) and our landfills will get even more packed. This is not what Americans need in this economy.

So what do I think? Make the manufactures be in charge of testing. If a small business wants to sell a kids toy or kids fabric, the manufacture of that toy or fabric should be responsible for insuring that the product that they made is safe. But as it is with this new law, it forces every small retailer to pay a high price to test the same exact product! Additionally, the implications of the retroactive aspect of this law need to be seriously considered. Do we really want small businesses, antique stores, and used clothing stores to be forced to throw away most of their stock? The safety of children is extremely important, but we need to make sure we do it in a way that does not lead to massive job loss, especially in these difficult times.

I'd love to hear what all of you think!

Scrap Fabric Craft of the Week

Time to get crafting again!

What with all the holiday rush, I know I got behind in craft projects. But now that things have calmed down a bit, I can get back to arts and crafts projects. Plus, with this economy, I want to do things that make me feel good, and nothing makes me feel better than creating something beautiful and unique from scratch. Plus, things you sew or construct yourself last longer than budget items you'll find in one of those mega stores like Wall Mart.

So I've been scouring the blogosphere for some good new project ideas. Here's what I've got for this week:

From the Old Red Barn we have very detailed instructions for how to make fabric headbands. I don't have any girls of my own, but I can see this being a great gift for some of my friend's children or some of my boys' friends. I love the fabrics she chooses -- such bright and cheerful patterns!

From El-e-men-tal we have the clever idea for scrap fabric magnets! I have to say, I really really love this idea. It's perfect for all those little scraps of fabric that are just too cute to toss, but really too small to make much with. Especially great with fabric prints with animals, figurines, or flowers. Can't wait to do this one.

Lastly, a scrap fabric craft that kids can do. From Highlights Magazine comes this craft idea for a fabric mouse pad. Very simple, and a great way to make kids get involved in making their work space fun. They chose sorta simple fabrics, but I could see this being great with slightly more exciting fabrics.

In the spirit of helping anyone interested getting a head start on their fabric projects, mention this blog post and save 10% on the following fabrics at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. I've gone the route of bright and fun fabric prints. From our selection of western fabrics we've got our red wagon train. From our wide selection of floral fabrics we have a fun hibiscus floral print. Lastly, from our selection of girls fabrics is the lavender lotus fabric, another bright and colorful print.

Monday Giveaways

Hope you all had a good weekend!

After all of the holidays I know I enjoyed my first truly relaxing weekend. Not to say there were no chores to do or errands to run, but there was plenty of time spent just enjoying being around my family.

Congratulations to Christina G. for winning her pick of a customized hand painted wastebasket!

I was overwhelmed by how many responses I got! I loved reading over some of your ideas for staying organized though. It seems like boxes and storage bins are the most popular method for keeping on top of things.

I also noticed that a few of you mentioned that you continue to go through and recycle and donate items you don't need anymore. I think this sort of practice is great, but I think it also touches on an important point, especially in this economy. It also helps to stay in order by reducing clutter-- which becomes easier if what you do purchase is quality items that are built to last.

With that in mind, this week we will be giving away a personalized plate hand painted and designed by my friend Jamie. She is such a talented artist, and all of her products are solid construction that you will be able to treasure for years to come.

Here's how to win one of these personalized plates:

1. Leave a comment on a favorite item that has lasted the test of time.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other durable items that they sell, like custom kids furniture, vintage fabric sleeping bags, and monogrammed aprons.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, January 11th, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.