Paper Coterie: Memory Box

I wanted to tell y'all about something cool I got recently.

It's a Memory Keeper from Paper Coterie. I've told you before about how big of a fan of theirs I am, right? Let me say it again- I love Paper Coterie. Their products are awesome and adorable and their customer service is tops. They frequently have deals like $40 store credit codes, 50% off, or even one free item. I got this baby with a one free item code, and boy, did that make me a happy girl.

I guess I didn't look at the dimensions when I ordered it, because I was very pleasantly surprised by how big it was when I got the package in the mail! Going back to look now, the website says it's 9.75" x 13". I haven't measured, but I think it's about a good 2" deep, too.

It has good, sturdy cloth-ish covered black lining on the inside, with a wall all around the bottom section to properly hold in all of your memories. It is big enough to hold so many things- my calendar from 2010, my prayer journal, all of the cards that were sent to us from America, as well as all of the cards that were given to us by friends in Moldova, plane tickets, our car insurance that's all in Russian, an x-ray of Jude's head from his big fall, coins from the USSR, the candle topper that Jude got his fingers stuck in and Josh had to cut the metal to get them out, and who knows what else. Smile. Sweet memories.

You can put a title or subject on the front and spine, and write a little paragraph about your memories on the back if you want. I like that.

Lastly, my sweet helper wanted to come in and help you get a better idea of how big it really is.

I love that sweet little face. Check out Paper Coterie if you're interested in a Memory Box or one of a number of other awesome things they offer. All of their products could make fabulous gifts. As a matter of fact, both my mom and my mother-in-law got gifts from Paper Coterie for this past Mother's Day.

And just so you know, I don't get any commissions from Paper Coterie, this isn't a paid advertisement, and I don't even know anyone personally who owns it or works there. I am just a huge fan of this awesome, young internet company, and I like to share about things I love. That's all.

Feature Friday: Shop Dirtsa

I was browsing around etsy earlier this week looking for some inspiration for my next Feature Friday, and I stumbled upon a wonderful shop for the nerd/teacher/student in all of us. Allow me to introduce you to the wonders of Shop Dirtsa.

Becky, the brains behind Shop Dirtsa, has a B.A. from Yale University in American Art & Material Culture, and a Master's Degree in American Decorative Arts (think: Antiques Roadshow). How's that for fun?? I had no idea you could get a degree in Antiques Roadshow-ing! Becky quit her day job to make her gorgeous designs into your new favorite etsy finds, and now I am thrilled to show you some of my favorites.

Let's start with this Frog Dissection Diagram Pillow. I feel like one of the few people in this world who never got to dissect a frog in high school. And as much as I would have complained and protested at the time, I somehow feel like I missed out on an important rite of passage.

I think this would be SO fun in a little boy's room. She also makes pillows with diagrams of a Eukaryotic Cell, a heart, and an atom.

On a slightly different note, I LOVE her scrabble tile pillows--particularly the LOVE set:

She also sells sets that say home, nap, play, and more, or you can order letters individually to spell anything you want. You can order just the cases or the cases with the inserts included.

I also thought this Chalkboard World Map is super fun:

The map is on there permanently, so you can write or color on it with chalk however you want. The heart over Africa like that made me think that it would be special for a family with children from Africa. I think it would also be really neat to use for homeschooling. She also sells ones of just the United States or of any state of your choice.

Another cute idea are these precious Penmanship Pillows. She has several sayings that you can buy, or you can customize a pillow to say whatever you want.

Last, but not least, I thought this Nerd Pocket Pillow was adorable and hilarous:

How perfect would that be for someone who is proud of their nerdiness? Well there are my favorites from Shop Dirtsa. What are yours? If you love what you see here, you can also keep up with Becky's lastest creations on the Dirtsa Studio blog.

Do you have an etsy shop or know someone that you'd like to see featured? Let me know!

Feature Friday: Ceramic Travel Mugs

I first stumbled upon the amazing works of Sarah Constantino at sewZinski when I was searching etsy for matryoshka doll items several months ago. I found this hand-painted Matryoshka Doll ceramic travel mug: 

And I knew that I had found a shop that needed to be featured in a future Feature Friday. (Say that five times fast!) I stuck this cute little matryoshka girl cup in my favorites list and kind of forgot about her for a while. But now here she is, ready to play and to introduce you to some of Sarah's other wonderful mugs!

I love the 90's-ness of this Morning Mix Tape mug:

And I love, love, love these delicate yellow feathers:

Apparently octopuses (octopi?) are kind of in right now. I've seen them on necklaces and whatnot. Normally, I think they're kind of creepy looking, but I couldn't help but smile at this cute pink octopus peeking over the bottom edge of the mug:

She also has ones in purple and green, if you'd rather.

I know I've mentioned this before, but my awesome Sister-in-law is a Spanish Education major, and so everything I see in Spanish always reminds me of her (come on, this is a big city in Kentucky... we don't have a lot of native Spanish-speakers around these parts). So of course I thought of her when I saw this mug proudly proclaiming in Spanish that it is not a paper cup:

She also has one in French, if that's more your style. And she takes custom orders as well, so I'm sure she could do one for you in any language you wanted, as long as you told her what to put. I'd love to have one that declares, "Aceasta nu este o ceașcă de hîrtie," which is, of course, Romanian.

Lastly, I thought that these sweet little Robots with the hearts on them were just too cute not to share:

I love the sketchy, casual style of her art so very much.  All of her double-walled ceramic mugs are painted with non-toxic paints and are microwave-safe. But don't think that mugs are the only thing Sarah makes... she showcases her art in so many different and beautiful ways in her etsy shop, you really just have to go look around for yourself!

Just during the month of August, she is having a deal where you can save $20 when you buy any 4 mugs at the same time, so go get some of your Christmas shopping done early, why don't ya?

You can also keep up with sewZinski and all of Sarah's latest products and specials on facebook, twitter, or her blog.

So, I've shown you my favorites, what do you love from sewZinski? Do you have a favorite travel mug or does one of her other items tickle your fancy? Let me know!

Feature Friday: Aubrey Plays Giveaway

I am so sorry! I had big dreams of actually being able to put up a Feature Friday post in the middle of a huge move. I'll tell you more about the move later, but for now let me just say that this coming a few days late in NO WAY dismisses the cute awesomeness of what I'm about to show you!

Do you remember this adorable coffee sleeve that I featured recently in my feature that was all about camera stuff? Finding that one coffee sleeve opened my world up to the amazingly whimsical and adorable little etsy shop, Aubrey Plays.

First, how adorable is this Owl Woodland Bag:

Soooo cute, right? This would be perfect for any girl of any age, really.

I don't know if you know this, but bloggers, etsyers, and pinners have the internets all abuzz about the most unlikely thing... moustaches. At first I thought it was totally weird, but it's kind of growing on me. They're quirky and fun. Aubrey has definitely gotten in on the moustache love with this simple and fun Moustache Coffee Sleeve:

If you know me very well, you know that I try to do little things to make our family more healthy, eco-friendly, cost-efficient, and stylish (of course).  So I love these gorgeous Insulated Lunch Bags:

She has a huge selection of fabrics and can hand embroider your name on the little tag there... perfect!

I really, really, really love this sweet Let Your Light Shine Pillow:

Just so perfect.

Aubrey revealed on her blog that she has a new obsession with oilcloth and laminated cotton, and that works out great for us because she make the most adorable, durable, and easy-to-clean Perfect Play Purse:

It's so big! It has so many pockets! And it's SO easy to clean! What's not to love?

Okay, lastly, I really, really love this sweet little Idea Journal:

Josh and I each have a tiny notebook (which I actually haven't seen since we left Moldova...). He writes ideas and thoughts for sermons, blog posts, school papers, and the like in his. How much MORE creative could his ideas be if they were written in something so inspiring?? Much more, I think.

Do you want to hear something really exciting? Aubrey has generously offered one of her adorable, hand embroidered coffee sleeves to one lucky My Messy Manger reader! Your pick! I really love this I Play With Monsters Coffee Sleeve, which she created to remind herself and others of what a blessing it truly is to get to play with little monsters (aka, our kids):

But you can choose any one you like!

Before I hand it over to Rafflecopter, don't forget to keep up with what's new at Aubrey Plays on Aubrey's blog and facebook page.

Feature Friday: I Heart Analogue Giveaway

In my last Feature Friday, I introduced you to several great etsy shops that sell some adorable camera-themed items. Today, we're going to look again at one of those shops, I Heart Analogue, where you will find some really fun, funky shirts that are each hand-printed to order. Talk about service and quality!

First, because Hubs and I are HUGE fans of The Office, I about died when I saw the I Heart Dwight Shirt... where the heart is a beet! I love it!

I realized while going through my closet after our move back to America that I've unknowingly become a closet (pun totally intended) zip-up hoodie collector. I have quite a few of them. Can you blame me? They're so comfy and wonderful. So of course, I love this SLR Hoodie:

Next, I really, really love this bright aqua on dark grey Fixie Bike Shirt:

I'm a little obsessed with aqua right now. The only thing stopping me from painting our entire new apartment that color in a few weeks is my husband. But I'm going to do it in at least two rooms...

Moving on... how fun is this Boom Box Shirt:

And of course, every little photographer-in-training needs a cute shirt to show their Mama or Daddy's camera love, and this Diana Camera Onesie is a really adorable way to do it:

Oooooh the cuteness!

Lastly, I showed this shirt to my husband just KNOWING that he would get it, but he completely disappointed me and said, "Umm... bear... radish... Star Wars...?" Sad.

Do you get it?

It's Bears Beets Battlestar Galactica!! Are you still scratching your head? I'll let you in on the joke... just go here and watch this clip.

So, like I told you two weeks ago, the lovely folks behind I Heart Analogue have generously offered to share a shirt with me, and they also want to share a shirt with you!

Here's the deal: They are giving away one men's shirt of your choice! Yay!

If you don't win, you just can't wait to find out if you win, or you want to buy a gift for someone, they have some great deals going on right now, too:

• For a limited time, all of their olive colored Women's American Apparel shirts are $5 off, which means some of them are just $8!
• All tote bags are also on sale for just $8!
• Use the code MESSYMANGER at checkout for free shipping within the US!

Remember, you MUST subscribe to My Messy Manger or at least check back to know who won. Winners are announced in a separate post after the giveaway is closed and are responsible for contacting me.

Okay, well... I'm going to let the Rafflecopter widget take it from here...

Feature Friday: Camera Lovers Giveaway

I love photography. I have since high school. And, like many of my friends, I've fallen even more in love with it since getting a DSLR just before Jude was born. So it's only natural that I should do a Feature Friday about camera-themed items. I just seriously cannot get enough of all of the great items on etsy that can showcase our love of our cameras!

Let's start out with this adorable I shoot people coffee sleeve from Aubrey at Aubrey Plays:

I love photography, I love the little saying, and I love coffee... what more could a girl ask for? This coffee sleeve, along with all of the other seriously adorable stuff in Aubrey's shop, is hand embroidered and totally customizable. You can keep up with Aubrey and what's new in Aubrey Plays on facebook, twitter, and her super-fun blog. You're also going to want to stay tuned, because in a future Feature Friday, I'm going to be featuring the rest of her shop, and she's going to give away a coffee sleeve to one lucky reader!

Next, I want to show you the Diana toddler tee, from Starbuck and Lori's wildly popular (for good reason) Happy Family shop:

Isn't that cute? You seriously need to go check out all of their shirts. They are all so classic and they have been featured everywhere from Time Magazine to The Times-Picayune to The New York Times to The Daily Show to NPR to CBS to the big sliver screen. I wasn't kidding when I told you they were popular!

Right now, you can get 15% off your order from Happy Family with the code HAPPYFAMILY15, and you can also get a free tote bag with your purchase of two shirts! 

Moving right along... you've got to see this adorable Polaroid Wood Brooch from Sarah at Crafty FOLK:

Squeeeee! What little retro cuteness! This would be so cute on a bag, jacket, or... anywhere, really. Sarah has several other little retro cuties in her shop (including a Leica brooch), so be sure and check them out. You can keep up with Sarah and what's new in Crafty FOLK on her blog and twitter.

Now, let me tell you... there are a LOT of camera necklaces on etsy. But I can honestly say that I have looked through all of them, and none hold a candle to the beauty and elegance of this Red Leather Camera Necklace by Leigh from Barberry & Lace:

I love it so much. Leigh has oodles of other beautiful pieces of jewelry in her shop, and if you're looking for something for a lady in your life, anything there would make an awesome gift. You can keep up with new items, giveaways, and sales from Barberry & Lace on facebook, twitter, or her blog.

Leigh is also offering 10% off your purchase just for My Messy Manger readers! Just enter MMMBLOG at checkout!

Let me tell you a little secret. Several Christmases ago, my amazing husband surprised me with a Holga camera. I was over-the-moon excited! These fun little toy cameras take some amazingly artistic pictures! They're kind of like the original instagram app on an iPhone. I took one roll of pictures with it and quickly realized that very few places will develop 120 film anymore. That first roll of film is still sitting in the camera, and my husband has never let me live it down. Maybe when we move again and I dig it out of a box somewhere, I'll pick it up and finally start using it. 

Anyway, I tell you all that to tell you why I love this Holga shirt by Nancy at i heart analogue so very, very much:

Not that you have to have owned (or neglected) a Holga to appreciate the vintage awesomeness of it. It's printed on a super soft American Apparel tee, so you know it's going to be comfy and cute, to boot. 

And guess what? In a future Feature Friday, Nancy is going to be giving away a shirt to one lucky reader, and offering a coupon code for free shipping within the US! Yay! You can keep up with i heart analogue on twitter for updates on new items and deals.

Second to last, but not second to least, I am totally swooning over this Retro Camera iPhone Case by Abigail at Crank Cases:

Hold me. I love it! We've recently joined the iPhone movement now that the older models are so cheap, and we are really enjoying it. How much fun would it be to keep your phone all nice and safe in one of these? And I'm just going to tell you that you will be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't go check out all of her other awesome cases. They are so bold and fun.

Abigail is offering free shipping on any purchase from Crank Cases with the code MESSYMANGER!

Finally, I want to show you this adorable Point and Click print by Susana from Parada Creations:

It's part of a series of prints called It's A Passion, where she puts a little heart bubble over some of people's favorite things, like blogging, sewing, reading, and more. Susana's designs are stunningly gorgeous and creative. I spent way more time than I probably should have just clicking around her shop and admiring her work. I loooooove it all. You can keep up to date with new gorgeous prints, sales, and giveaways on Susana's facebook page or blog.

And guess what? Susana is going to give one lucky reader a free Point and Click print! Yay!

I'm using a new giveaway managing website this time, which is supposed to make things easier for all of us, so let's see how we like it. Just follow the steps below and click the little "I did this!" buttons after completing a task, and you'll be entered to win!

Remember: The winner will be announced in a new post here on My Messy Manger. You MUST subscribe via RSS or at least check back after the giveaway is over to know if you are a winner.

Feature Friday: Define Design 11 Giveaway!

You know, the more time I spend browsing around Etsy, the more and more amazing shops I find. When I was looking for items for my recent Kentucky-themed feature, I found the amazing I Heart My Hometown print and I met the gracious and friendly creator behind it, Sandrine. Well, now I'm coming back to show you more of Sandrine's shop, Define Design 11.

Sandrine has done a lot with simple and elegant state outlines. You can get a custom birth announcement print with a heart over the city where your baby was born and all of his or her birth information:

Or a print to commemorate your wedding with your names, wedding date, and a heart over the place where you were married:



I love both of those so, so very much. They are everything I love in a keepsake... classic and personalized and meaningful... I can't get enough of them. I'm also a really big fan of this United States map:

Wouldn't that be so fun in a playroom or homeschool classroom? You could get a lot of mileage out of teaching your children not only the states themselves, but also about the symbols pictured on each state and what that symbol has to do with the respective states.

She has many other great prints that aren't geographical. I have to be honest, my natural tendency is to procrastinate and/or get tired halfway through a project, say I'll come back to it after a short break, and never return to finish it (or at least not for a few days). That's why I loved the no-nonsense attitude of this print:

With all of the packing I'm doing these days, I need this reminder often! Okay, I have one last thing before we get to the giveaway. I am really loving all of Sandrine's fun little Hand in Hand prints:

I had to show the Mexico one because I have a certain sister-in-law who is a Spanish Education major, so anything in Spanish always makes me think of her. Especially something as cute as this. You can also get this in Italian, Japanese, African (not sure which African language that is), French, Arabic, and Eskimo (which I'm guessing is Inuit). The little people on each one are all so precious and creatively designed!

She has a ton of other awesome prints that I just don't have the space to show you. You really should go check them all out... there's something for pretty much everyone, and her prices are great. And just for My Messy Manger readers, because y'all are so special, she is offering 10% off any purchase with the coupon code QUICKTEN. Yay!

Lastly, do you remember the awesome I Heart my Hometown print that I showed you in the Kentucky feature? Here's one of Lincoln, Nebraska, just to jog your memory:

I love, love, love this in a very serious kind of way! Isn't it great? You can choose any color, any state, and any city. From New York to Hamakuapoko to Monkey's Eyebrow to Juneau... wherever you love, she can declare that love on a gorgeous print.

And would you believe it... Sandrine wants to give one lucky winner a free print memorializing their favorite place!

How to enter:
Go to Define Design 11 and tell me one item in her shop that you love.

For extra entries:

• Like Define Design 11 on Facebook, leave her some love on her wall, and leave me a comment saying you did so.
• Share this giveaway on Facebook (be sure to include a link to this post) and leave me a separate comment saying you did so.
• Tweet about this giveaway (again, be sure to include a link to this post, the twitter button at the bottom will give you a nice, short url) and leave me another comment with a link to your twitter.

So there are FOUR ways you can enter to win! Comments will close at 12 noon Central Time on Tuesday, June 14th. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on this blog immediately. The winner will have one week to get in touch with me or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Just for the record- I did receive a free I Heart my Hometown print from Sandrine, but only after I found her shop and told her that I wanted to feature her. I don't get any commission from any of her sales. As always, I just really love her stuff and I love to share stuff I love.

Feature Friday: BirdAve Coupon & Giveaway

I have another exciting giveaway for you on this beautiful last Friday of May!

Let me tell you about BirdAve and Jose, the man behind these fantastically creative and stylish designs. I found this wonderful shop of original prints when looking for items for my Kentucky feature a couple of weeks ago. You may remember the awesome Louisville skyline print from that feature. He already has a LOT of cool skyline prints available, like this Seattle one, and you can customize them with any color to match your decor:

You can view his whole city series here. Upon further perusal of his shop, I immediately loved this Remove Shoes Before Entering print because not only is that a cultural tradition here in Moldova, but it is also a strict rule at my parents' house (but he also has one that's checked false in case that isn't the rule in your house):

With as much coffee as we drink around here, Josh and I both really enjoyed the Coffee Isn't A Drug It's A Vitamin print:

At our last couple of apartments in America (and hopefully at our next place, too), we had an old hoosier cabinet that served as a coffee bar. I could just see this hanging next to it! Also, are you starting to notice the fun ways that he sets up his prints for the pictures with a few random, simple items around them? I'm really enjoying that.

One print that I found to have particular potential for fun is this simple Fill In The Blank:

If you have this framed under glass (which we'll talk more about in a second), then a dry-erase marker could make this print loads of fun for families, roommates, or friends. I can see this hanging in an entryway with constantly evolving messages scrawled on it-- reminders, encouragements, fun quotes, love notes, you name it.

Now, I know you probably have at least one Star Wars fan among your family or friends who would love this stylish and modern take on the Death Star:

Isn't that so fun? You can choose from several different custom colors to match your office, bedroom decor, or your fine china... you know, wherever you want to put it. And while we're on the subject, you can actually customize anything any color you want it. And if there's a quote or something you'd like to see, let him know because he said he really enjoys that kind of thing.

Okay, okay, one last one before we get to the best part. I really, really love this artistic take on the old nursery rhyme, Ba Ba Black Sheep:

I think this would be super cute in a nursery, child's room, or playroom. It evokes a childish playfulness, while at the same time being stylish enough for adults to enjoy, too.

Also, I said that I would talk more about framing, so here it goes. You'll be happy to hear that Jose has thought of you, the thrifty-but-sophisticated customer, when designing all of his prints. That's why all of his prints are sized to perfectly fit in an IKEA Ribba Frame, which is simple and elegant and only $9.99. They will also fit any 8" x 10" sized frame, so no worries if you don't live near an IKEA.

Okay, enough talk... are you ready for the giveaway? Jose is generously offering TWO great prizes, open to anybody in the world, no matter where you live!

• First, one reader will win a free print of your choice!
• Second, another reader will win a one-time use coupon for 50% off!
• And EVERYBODY gets to go home with 10% your purchase with the code MESSYMANGER!

How to enter:
Go to BirdAve and tell me one item in his shop that you love.

For extra entries:

• Share this giveaway on Facebook (be sure to include a link to this post) and leave me a separate comment saying you did so.
• Tweet about this giveaway (again, be sure to include a link to this post, the twitter button at the bottom will give you a nice, short url) and leave me another comment with a link to your twitter.

So there are THREE ways you can enter to win! Comments will close at 12 noon Central Time on Thursday, June 9th. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on this blog immediately. The winner will have one week to get in touch with me or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Just for the record- I haven't received anything from BirdAve and I don't get any commission from any of his sales. As always, I just really love his stuff and I love to share stuff I love.