May Must Have #10 - Felt Animals

Cutesandturtle's felt animals are a May Must Have great for all ages. In shop now at are a variety of felt farm animals including goats, chickens, and cows. Each animal is handmade and shipped within 7-10 days of your purchase; with the detail that each animal has it is well worth it! These are absolutely adorable!

May Must Have #9 - Upcycled Infant and Toddler Clothing by Ricicli

Ricicli is an Etsy shop you just have to see! From hoodies to adorable shorts and tops, this store will keep your kids GREEN and stylish! Ricicli's line of children's clothing is made out of adult apparel pieces that have been gently used or have gone out of style. These items are then transformed into a number of unique items for your infant or toddler! Such a neat idea!

On This Memorial Day

Photograph taken at Pearl Harbor by my loving husband, Drew.

I have been a member of a military family my entire life. Starting as a NAVY "brat" and then becoming an ARMY wife I have always been exposed to the sacrifices that our soldiers encounter as well as their families. I am so thankful that there were and remain individuals that will fight for our freedoms, the nations stability and his our her family. Without these men and women I doubt that our nation would have made the progress that it has.

Please take this time to celebrate with me the strength, the valor, and bravery of all our soldiers past and present. To the soldiers and their families I send my love and strength! I will always remember.

May Must Have #8 - Pincushions by Sew Soft

Do you love to sew? Love unique pincushions? Then Sew Soft is an Etsy shop that you must check out! From fish to carrots there are plenty of unique pincushions to find in this shop. The pincushions would make the perfect gift for a quilter or new fan of sewing. I know that I have fallen a fan of the fun and vivid colors!

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever!

And I have Army guys to prove it!

Being an Army wife comes with a number of responsibilities, and among these is keeping the boys fed. I started making these peanut butter cookies for them all, and they LOVE them so much that I will get random text messages from some of them asking when I will make the cookies again.

I am not sure where this recipe came from, but it is great! It only has three ingredients too!

THE RECIPE
Ingredients
- 18 0z of peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Blend all ingredients together.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes
4. Enjoy!

May Must Have #7 - Watercolor Art by olechko

Are you looking for new art to put in the home or office? Looking for something original? Watercolor? Then you have to check out this May Must Have! olechko offers a large selection of watercolor and drawing art to include household subjects and architectural images. It is a very lovely shop!

May Must Have #7 - Farmyard Art

Farmyard Art is an absolutely wonderful shop, offering the Ewe-La sheep pictured, felted items and beautiful, original paintings. If you have not seen this Etsy shop yet, you have to check them out!

May Must Have #6 - Origami Decor

One of the crafts that I have never been able to master, and absolutely admire is the art of origami. I love its intricacies, the bold colors of the paper that a person can use, and the endless ways that origami can bring joy to your life!

To celebrate all things origami, May Must Have #6 is Origami Art by Maria Farber. In this Etsy shop you will find a variety of origami wall art that will grab the attention of any visitor. The framed origami is perfect for the home or office and would make a great gift! Speaking of gifts, Origami Art by Maria Farber is currently offering a free gift with the purchase of the framed art! You don't want to miss out on this great deal!

Mother's Day Sale

I must say that I have been a very blessed gal to have a mom like mine! She has been supportive of all that my brother and I do, and has given the both of us kids room to discover for ourselves where we are suppose to be in our lives. My brother, now proudly serves in the US Navy and I am working hard on my art. Mom has helped make me who I am today, and I hope that she continues to help me grow into the best person that I can be!

To celebrate and say thanks to all the Mom's out there this Sunday, Art Whims will be offering free shipping in the U.S. today, May 10th, 2009. Just enter MOMDAY2009 in the message to the seller upon checkout, and the cost of your shipping will be reimbursed through PayPal.

Have a great Mother's Day!

May Must Have #5 - Yummy Cookies

Bake at 350 is May Must Have #5! If you love sugar cookies and have a baby shower, birthday, or wedding shower coming up this shop is perfect! The cookies are hand decorated and are made from all natural ingredients. Plus if you do not see the cookie you are looking for, Bake at 350 also takes custom orders!

May Must Have #4 - From the Jewelry Section

Something most of us women cannot live without is a great pair of earrings, but finding a pair that we absolutely love can be difficult. So I thought to myself what new Etsy shop has great jewelry? Billies Blue Boutique was my answer! The jewelry found in this shop can add the perfect subtle splash of color to your outfit. Perfect for dressing up those dark denim jeans you love too! Make sure to stop by this shop and see if your perfect pair of earrings can be found!

May Must Have #3 - Undiscovered Photography on Etsy

I absolutely love photography, so when I found styleannedesign on Etsy I was very excited! Not only is this photography filled with visual interest, many of the prints also capture vibrant colors that I adore. If you are looking for a new image to adorn your home or office, you should definitely check out this Etsy shop!

May Must Have #2 - Newly Hatched

If you are looking for something that is custom made and great for the new mother this Mother's Day then you have to check out this May Must Have! Newly Hatched offers a wide variety of custom items for the baby including burp cloths and baby wipe cases. Just let Newly Hatched know what name you would like to appear on these items and you have the perfect gift!

And until the end of May, 2009, Newly Hatched is offering a great deal on these adorable burp cloths... they are only $5.00! That is hard to beat!

May Must Have #1 - The Pig Pen

This month I will be sharing with you some Must Haves of Etsy from "Undiscovered Shops". And to start us off for the month of May I would love to share a shop with you called The Pig Pen!

At The Pig Pen you will fin a variety of hand painted pig banks in costume, from a patriotic piggy to a ferocious lion. Not only are these items unique, they are an absolutely adorable way to stow away change for a rainy day!