Always

Always, originally uploaded by la Naváa.

In my heart.

Day After Christmas Sale

To honor the season of giving, la Naváa will be giving 26% savings on all items; jewelry and paper goods alike. 

Shop my Etsy Store December 26th, the day after Christmas to find this special offer.

The sale starts shortly after midnight and will run all day.  But know that most of the items in my shop are one of a kinds (OOAK) or last ones remaining.  Once they are gone... they're gone!

 While everyone is packed in to crowded stores with returns, you could be kicking back in your lounge (computer) chair, wearing your new Christmas pj's, sipping from your favorite mug, and shopping & saving away!

I hope everyone enjoys time spent with family and friends this weekend.

A Merry Christmas to all!
Much♥Meg


Go to la Naváa's Shop and start saving!

Serenity... a Treasury

I'm sitting here in front of my computer, drinking my tea, going through all the things I must do in preparation of Christmas three short days away.  There seems to be more things on my "to do" list than I originally anticipated. 

So as my blood pressure begins to rise, and the stress of what should be the happiest time of the year starts to envelope me, I take a step back, and with a few clicks of my mouse, I'm brought back to a relaxed state.  Just looking at the serene and tranquil pictures of these lovely handmade items featured in SocksAndMittens treasury.

Featured in this amazing treasury alongside la Naváa's Hope Keepsake Box, is the simplistic and oh-so eco friendly travel mug by yevgenia of Brooklyn. 

Everything in her Etsy shop is hand painted, including the delicate Baby's Breath Flowers that adorn the mug included by SocksAndMittens.

  Also Incorporated into this peaceful collection is the Watercolour Art Illustrations 2011 Wall Calender by marissahandmade of Toronto. 

I'm in awe of the detailed whimsy that accompanies each month of the year!

Embellishing the top of my baby blue and cream colored Hope Keepsake Box is the word "hope" which was hand stenciled by me.  The box itself was hand-folded by me using 100% recycled papers.  Find it and more in my Etsy Shop.

May your holiday season be peaceful, yet merry.  

♥Meg 

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: 10

So, I’ve been talking recently about how snug my pants are getting. With New Years fast approaching, I think I may just decide to do something about it. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions; if you’re going to do something, just do it.

To stick with that philosophy, I will be signing up for a Pilates class somewhere. Pilates is my all time favorite; I loved the class that I used to attend. Since I moved to the country a year ago, the location where I was attending became very inconvenient. Thus a few extra pounds gained due to inactivity. Jewelry making isn’t all that aerobic you know.

In my past classes, I lugged in my plain blue mat, which isn’t all that inspiring. But what if your mat was inspiring?

It can be; I promise. ;) That’s why I decided to feature flowyogamats Inspirational Yoga Mat as la Naváa’s 10th and final gift on the ’10 Holiday Gift Giving List.

Words like “beautiful, Grace, Love, Passion” will surround you while you take in the deep breathe of now. What an exceptional item to help remind you about what matters in the upcoming new year? What a great gift to give or receive?!

Check out flowyogamat’s other motivating handmades.

Thanks to everyone featured here in the ’10 Holiday Gift List. ‘Tis the season for giving… handmade!

I bid everyone a blessed Christmas season. May your new year be joyous.
Much♥Meg

See all 10 gifts on the '10 Holiday Gift Giving List.

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: 9

I came across the ninth item on la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List, when my Christmas Snowflake Note Cards were featured in a treasury alongside some eco-friendly Christmas decor.  I've been scouring Etsy recently for ornaments for my currently bare tree. 

What originally brought me into SewnNatural's Etsy shop was their plenitude of felted items; I'm a big fan of organic.  Then I came across an item that would be a wonderful gift for a good friend, loved one, co-worker, etc.

Silk and Linen Balsam Fir Sachets

I can almost smell that lovely scent that reminds me of Christmas' passed.  The contents of these sachets originated by nature and finished with the helping hand of SewnNatural.

...And remember just one more item left to list here in la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List.

Happy Holidays to all!

♥Meg

’10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: 8

At the moment, my Christmas tree is half lit.  This year I thought I would try something new: white lights.  I really have never been a fan of the just clear lights in the past, but thought it may actually look nice in my living room.  So I picked up some new lights... just not enough. 

It's been week or two, and I finally returned to the store today to pick up lights.  Hopefully tomorrow after church, I'll find time to get the lights finished. 

Then comes the decorating, which brings me to the eighth item on la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List.

I've been shopping Etsy for the past month in search of natural themed ornaments, of course handmade as well.  While pursuing the pages, I came across this funky little shop named AngelDogDesigns.  Among the mixed media, I came across these cute Wool Felted Acorn Ornaments!

The acorn tops of are the real deal fitted atop of the white wool.  With all the artificial trees out there, I think bringing something from nature inside is wonderful.   

Very cute and practical.  Perfect.

Happy Christmas everyone!
♥Meg

Happy Holidays!

Katrin of katrinshine recently put together an Etsy Treasury showcasing the reds and greens of the Christmas season.  

Featured alongside la Naváa's Christmas Snowflake Note Cards, is a super cute Red and White baby Pom hat from OopsIknitItAgain.  If you have a wee one in your family, you should really check out her shop.  It's filled with adorable baby accessories including this cranberry colored Caplet and Hat set.

Recently featured in la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List, a SocksAndMittens knit is also featured here by Katrin.  The Christmas themed stockings are made to decorate your home with a little old fashion cheer!

Another handmade spreading holiday cheer is the Felted Christmas Acorn set by SewnNatural.  This group shop on Etsy has handfuls of holiday decor, like these upcycled felt love ornaments.

Be sure to swing in my Etsy shop to find these Christmas Snowflake Note Cards and all other holiday items currently 25% off!

Happy Shopping and Holidays!

♥Meg

I ♥ the Holidays Sale

Have you ever received a surprise Christmas gift that shows up from someone not on your gift list? I’ll own up… I have. But it’s the worst feeling when it's last minute and you don't have anything for them. Then you have scramble to find a gift so you don’t like the schmuck that you are.

Well, I figured I could help you prepare for these occasions. Even though the Christmas shipping deadline has passed, I will still be selling my Christmas and holiday items.

25% off each holiday item through Christmas.


Stay tuned for special offers for the day after Christmas!

Much♥ and blessed holidays to you,
Meg

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #7

The seventh item listed in la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List was inspired by the typical morning drag.  I was up till the wee hours of the morning, piecing together my new jewelry order.  Finally, by 1am I was ready to check out...  By the time I got to bed, I was overstimulated by all the gorgeous gems that would soon arrive.  I laid in bed fantasizing about all my soon to come creations.

Needless to say, I wasn't too chipper when I alarm began to squawk.  But knowing that once I got out of bed, I could energize myself with a good cup of Joe is the only thing that got me going.

I admit it; I’m a coffee addict. That's why I love SocksAndMittens. This Etsy shop, based out of Arizona, caters to coffee lovers with their line of hand-knit coffee cozies and sleeves. This brightly colored sleeve made with vegan friendly yarn is one of my favorites.

And for those of you lucky enough to brew your own, Tanya’s mother, who is the master knitter behind this shop, has made special button cozies, like this honey mustard colored cutie.

Check out the rest of SocksAndMittens fab collection of socks to headbands and everything in between!

Only three items remaining in the '10 Holiday Gift Giving List! Remember to submit your ideas!

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #6

The nature lover in me comes out with my #6 pick for the la Naváa '10 Holiday Gift Giving List.  Growing up in rural Wisconsin, I've become accoustomed to the lush green beauty that engulfs the area during the summer.  But since we just had a blizzard this weekend, over a foot of snow fell, I find myself missing summer's rich foliage...

Which brought me to blithegardens mini woodland creations: Moss Terrarium Kits.  This handblown glass orb terrarium kit was recently listed in blithegardens Etsy shop, and probably won't be around for long.  These terrarium Kits were featured on Good Morning America and are selling every day!

Filled with a variety of greens, these terrariums are perfect for your garden loving friends.  Give 'em a little green to brighten the dull winter season.

Only 4 for gift ideas remaining!  Be sure to submit your recommendation/creation before the '10 Holiday Gift Giving List concludes!

Not quite my mother's recipe

Every Christmas as a child, my mom and I would make cut-out cookies.  We'd spend a whole evening mixing, baking and frosting; often to the wee hours of the morning.  The result: trays full of fun colored Holiday figures made of butter and sugar... my favorite.

It's been a number of years since my mom and I have gotten together to bake.  I think she'd ok with it though; she was never a fan of the mess.

Nowadays, I find myself using more whole ingredients.  Since we had a blizzard this weekend, I took some time to pull out my mom's old cookie recipe and threw in some of my own likes.

If I own cookie cutters, I don't know where they are, so I improvised with a glass.  And since food coloring doesn't seem to be present in my kitchen cupboards, I went with the natural theme.

Christmas Cut-out cookies made with wheat flour and raw sugar.

Delicious.  Well, they would have been better if I wouldn't have halved the frosting recipe, miscalculated and left out half the milk...

Oh, well.  Still tasty  ;)

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #5

Still looking for a gift for a special someone, but have no clue what to get them.  Been there... but not anymore.  I stumbled upon these awesome ornaments on day while perusing Etsy.

Christmas ornaments are perfect for pretty much EVERYONE.  (That is, everyone who celebrates the holidays.)  The #5 Gift on my la Navaá '10 Holiday Gift Giving List is this Wine Cork Christmas Tree made by Laurie Mullins.

 4EyesAndEars, Laurie's shop on Etsy is plum full of these whimsical Christmas decorations.  The upcycled mantel toppers (for example...) are made with wine corks; the Christmas three look is completed with stacked vintage buttons!

Utterly perfect for the wine connoisseur, or any one with good taste. 

Remember to submit your handcrafted gift ideas!  5 more to go!

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #4

Ok… so I had a hard time picking just one item for la Naváa’s 4th gift featured in the ’10 Holiday Gift Giving List. I came across a sweet shop on Etsy a week or two ago and fell in love with the paintings I found.

As a little girl I LOVED woodland creatures, and populated my bedroom with little figurines and paintings. I even tried my hand at sketching; deer were my favorite, or at least my best attempt. But those days are long gone and I have moved on to other creations that I’m actually good at, jewelry in particular. I figure I should leave the drawing and sketching to the experts (I never even came close to mastering a paint brush).

But I can tell you that Terry, of Savage Babble has certainly mastered the fine art of painting. In one of her Etsy shop’s, SavageArtworks, Terry sells adorable animal paintings and prints.

If I had young ones, I would certainly love to populate their walls with these delightfully cute baby animals!

As you can see I couldn’t pick just one of these furry finds; it’s more of a compilation. And truly, a collection would be quite affordable.

I highly recommending checking out Terry’s shops for a unique gift for your loved one.

Six more gifts to list! Be sure to submit your suggestions for la Naváa’s

‘10 Holiday Gift Giving List.

And don’t forget to let me know about your own creations too!

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #3

Number three on la Naváa's '10 Holiday Gift Giving List would make an excellent stocking stuffer for that boy or girl gamer you love.  A throw-back to the old school days; I owned and LOVED the one and only gaming system I had as a kid (am I dating myself...).  Tetris was my #1 way to pass time. 

ArgentaCollaborative out of Reno has given "new life" to the epic classic Gameboy with these kitschy fridge magnets!

The Nintendo Game Boy Magnets are available in an entire rainbow of colors... a perfect find for most any gamer!

Check out the rest of ArgentaCollaborative's creations for other

retro arcade and gaming crafts.

Like these Mario Bros Mushroom coasters!

Much ♥ to ArgentaCollaborative for these super fun finds!

  

PS... Remember to submit your gift ideas... 7 more gifts to go!

'10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #2

I have a thing for legwarmers.  Last Christmas, when I told my mom I wanted legwarmers she nearly fell over; I haven't always been so fond of them... apparently.  She reminded me of when I was in kinder garden and pretty much refused to wear them.

As I've aged, I realized that it's the cold that I'm not too fond of.  Legwarmers aren't just cute, they are functional.  I actually wear them under my dress pants at work.  Some of my co-workers wear Cuddl Duds, but I can't seem to spare the excess (2mm) bulk of such; I need all the room I can get.  Perhaps I'll resolve to do something about that come new years...

In the meantime, I'm going to love, love, love leg warmers.  I especially love these I♥Sweater Legwarmers from MountainGirlClothing on Etsy.

Margaret of MountainGirlClothing has quite the array of legwarmers all made of upcycled sweaters!!  What a superb idea.  I can't really say that I would wear these knitted hearts as a sweater, but I would certainly sport these spats!

Please do check out Margaret's eco friendly wears including tees, tops, skirts, pants, etc.  She's even running a sale on neck warmers until the 21st. 

Happy Shopping and Holidays to all!

♥Meg

’10 Holiday Gift Giving List :: #1

Keep your best girl warm this winter with these handknit Fingerless Mittens! These are just one of Bysweetmom’s wool gloves on Etsy (these happen to be my favorite).

I’m naming these hand warmers as the first on la Naváa's ’10 Holiday Gift Giving List. Perfect for the cold season to come!

Bysweetmom’s shop is a collection of family creations; the shop name inspired by who else… their sweet mom! How adorable is that… and how adorable are their knit and crocheted fashionable designs.

Another fav of mine is this boho chic crocheted poncho! I absolutely am in love with the pink colored Afghan motifs.

A fun little tidbit... bysweetmom is offering 10% off their shop until tomorrow, Dec 1st with coupon code:

HOLIDAYSALE10

Seriously, how much better can it get!?

Thanks bysweetmom for your super stellar handmade creations! 

Much ♥!
~Meg

Black Friday With Ketchup and Mustard

ArtByAmarose on Etsy designed a solid gold, and black, treasury with Black Friday in mind.  Textures and stripes of yellow, black, red and white:

Black Friday with Ketchup and Mustard

Some of my favorite items Anita chose include the Fabric Wall Art by merriweathercouncil who makes home decor; how cute!?

Also, theses red coral quartz earrings from ThePeachTree's Flor Collection.  10x14mm faceted flat briolette drops wire wrapped in Sterling Silver; how hot!?

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

If you think this Hand Painted Owl Necklace is adorable as I do, be sure to check out pashiko's other whimsical listings!  How charming!?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

la Naváa was lucky enough to be included in this treasury along with these other great artisans of Etsy.  Double Hearts Gift Box is made with 100% recycled tagboard. Wrapped in black and white ribbon, ready for giving!

Currently 50% off for the Black Friday Sale! 

Happy Shopping and Spirited Holidays to you!

Much♥Meg

PS: be sure to "fan" ArtByAmarose on Facebook!

50% Off EVERYTHING Sale!

Announcing la Naváa's 50% off EVERYTHING Sale beginning at 6am

Black Friday thru Cyber Monday!

Shop till you drop without even having to leave your house!

Happy Shopping & Holidays!

♥Meg

*Sale applies to la Naváa's Etsy shop listings only.  Custom orders do not apply.

A Thanksgiving Blessing to each of you

Thanksgiving, in my opinion, is a time for reflection on all that we have been given: both joys and sorrows. I find this best stated by whom I believe to be one of America’s finest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln in his Thanksgiving Proclamation:

I am thankful for the life I’ve experienced on this earth. I am grateful to have been born in a country were I am free; free to believe how I believe. I understand how fortunate I am.

I am thankful for the people who are constant in my life and for those who have come in and out over the years. I am grateful for the life lessons they taught me. Without them, I would not be who I am today.

I am thankful for the tender mercies the Lord has provided me. I am grateful He chose me to follow Him.  Without him, I would not have been created. 

While I carry this with me year round, I believe this is a season for emphasis on faith, family and friends. A thank you to each of you for being in my life.  May you have a blessed holiday season.

Many thanks and much ♥
Meg

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100

Thanksgiving wishes for you and your family!

There is a shop found on Etsy which is known for its unique and elegant styles.  kareninadesigns specializes in feminine lace jewelry. 

kareninadesigns also has a flare for curating unique and elegant treasuries.  You will find these Thanksgiving themed selections varying from housewares like the fine Hand Beaded Hostess Serving Set from Beadz2Pleaz, to WeeKnit's super cute Thanksgiving Finger Puppet Set all the way to old fashioned caramels from TheCaramelJar.

Also featured in this treasury, is la Naváa's Festive Maple Leaf Note Card Set!  The red/orange colored maple leaves were hand-stenciled and layered atop 100% recycled construction paper, and textured card stock.  This set of six is on sale now!

Here are more items from my fellow artisans who were included in this Thanksgiving Wishes treasury:
 

leur de Sel Caramels

 

Beaded Modern Tealight Candle Holder

 

Traditional Christmas Party Papers

A Happy Thanksgiving to all who will be celebrating this Thursday!

♥Meg