I am excited today to share with you a little bit about one of this month's sponsors, Lettergirl. Gina makes lovely hand-lettered stamps to be used in a variety of ways from bookplates to return addresses on envelopes to custom invitations and stationery. 

I asked Gina to share a little bit about herself, her shop and what inspires her :

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in Minneapolis with my husband, Peter and our two kids, Juilet is 11 and Forest is 8. We live in a 105-year old Victorian fixer-upper near the Mississippi River. I love making things--and like many crafty people, that goes back to when I was a child. I have always loved reading and sewing and cooking and trying new things.

How did you get started with Lettergirl?

I have been a designer for 17 years through my business, Dreamland. I started by designing our wedding invitation (18 years ago this week!). A friend came to our wedding and asked me to design their invitation. A friend of hers then asked me to design for her...Within a few years I was designing close to 100 invitation suites in a year -- all hand-lettered and hand-painted. Dreamland evolved through the years to include birth announcements, holiday cards, everyday stationery, and for the last year, my online shop, lettergirl.

How do you balance it all? When do you fit in your creative time?

One of my most favorite things about self-employment is the flexibility I have during the day. I can help at my kids' schools, buy groceries when the store isn't so hectic, or go for a bike ride if I need to get outside. I have to balance that with a few late nights or early mornings, but I am so grateful to even have that option. I have the most energy in the morning, and am still trying to figure out how to work in more personal creative time then. In the meantime, I love keeping an Idea Journal, where I jot down all the things I want to make "someday".

What inspires you?

Other artists absolutely inspire me. I have been obsessed with Alabama Chanin since a trip to NY in spring 2008, and have made almost a dozen clothing items entirely by hand thanks to her. I love quilts by Cher Cartwright and cookbooks by Ina Garten With limited time (two kids! old house! business to run! volunteer projects! older parents!) I am learning to let others do what they do best...instead of making that little pouch I needed, I bought on etsy from mintworkshop. I have lots of things on my favorites list right now!

Gina's Blog   :   Gina's Lettergirl Shop

And today, Gina was kind enough to offer one her custom family name stamps to one lucky MommyCoddle reader. Simply leave a comment in this post to be entered in the giveaway. And I will announce the winner on Friday!

Good luck! And thank you, Gina!

I am so excited to share this shop with you this afternoon--because as I sit here at my kitchen table writing this post, I'm wearing a little goodness around my neck from this very talented mother and artist.

Erin of The Vintage Pearl, was one of my lovely sponsors for the month of August and she emailed me about working together on a Show & Tell for mommycoddle readers. 

Erin's shop is absolutely lovely and full of so many beautiful classic creations. They are timeless, and make wonderful gifts.  Lately, I am really loving the idea of giving personalized jewelry as gifts--whether it be for a friend, a mother, a newlywed, or even our children. (Shhh, but I'm already thinking my older two might be ready for their own simple necklace this Christmas.)

Erin is a mother of four children. She makes her hand-stamped jewelry, keeps a lovely blog and shop and also takes beautiful photographs. I asked Erin to share a little bit about herself :

How did you get started making jewelry?

After my daughter was born (after having 2 boys) I started tinkering around with how to make jewelry for her and I to wear. I started with beading and soldering charms before discovering hand stamping. I love playing with new materials and figuring out new techniques!

How do you balance it all?

Balance can be really hard sometimes! It's probably my biggest obstacle. I try to work during naptimes and I work a lot of late nights after all 4 kids are in bed. My husband is very supportive and if I need to get orders done he will take the kids out for a few hours. My family is very close and we love to be together... I also love my job and work hard to keep up with it all. Sometimes, especially during busy seasons, it's hard to do both! But we make it work :)

And I'm so happy to tell you that Erin is giving one lucky mommycoddle reader their choice of one item from her beautiful shop! Yup, that's right. Your choice of any item from The Vintage Pearl.

You know how it works: Pop over to Erin's shop and have a look around. Come back and leave a comment letting us know what catches your eye, and you'll be entered in the giveaway. I will randomly choose and announce a winner on Monday.

Good luck!  And thank you, Erin for such a sweet giveaway!

I have to confess, I judged these books by their covers. When Rae Grant contacted me to see if I'd be interested in review copies of her two new books, I took one look at the covers--with their vintage illustrations and drawings and immediately said yes. They reminded me of the old go-to Betty Crocker cookbook from my childhood.

And when I got them in hand, the goodness went beyond what was on the outside. I like Rae's note to families on the first few pages:

The first Book, Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids , is a collection of classic crafts categorized by season. Though many are new, some are the time-honored, best-loved crafts of our childhood. The book has clear, simple directions that make it easy enough for even the youngest crafter to be involved, and older crafters to work through independently. Animal track casting, seashell candles, natural dyes, paper chains, and tinsel stars, there is definitely something for everyone.

Her next book, Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids would make a great first cookbook, gift, or addition to any kitchen library. I love (and appreciate) the helpful sections at the beginning which give how-to's and insights on kitchen tools, measuring, cooking terms, equipment and equivalents. Baked apples, heirloom brownies, icebox cookies--can you tell which section my children turned to first? Aside from yummy desserts, the book is filled with great recipes to make with your children in the kitchen.

Find Rae's blog here at My Little Hen

and her Author's website : Crafting Fun For Kids

I have one copy of each of Rae's books to giveaway this weekend. Leave a comment on this post and I will pick and announce the two random winners on Monday.

Happy Weekend, friends!