Thinking About a Gift Card for Mom? Think Etsy!

 Still need a last-minute gift for that special mom in your life?  Lots of people steer away from gift cards because they think they are impersonal, but those people probably have never received an Etsy gift card.  Etsy gift cards can be printed or emailed directly to the recipient, which will open up a magical world of endless possibilities for her.  Not only can she shop for just about anything handmade or vintage on Etsy, she can have something custom made just for her.  I'm totally going to use myself as an example . . .

I shop on Etsy A LOT.  The sellers are always wonderful, and a lot of them will customize items to fit your needs and your tastes.  One of my favorite Etsy sellers is Trish, the owner of CaliCatBoutique.  She sells handmade handbags, totes, clutches, backpacks, wallets, and more.  Everything you see pictured here, Trish has made just for me.  How awesome is that?!!

These are coordinating mother-daughter Mabel tote bags.  My daughter and I could not agree on a fabric, so we decided that having coordinating bags is just as good as having matching ones.  Trish also created matching accessories according to our specific needs.  I cannot wait for the weather to warm up, so we can start carrying these babies!

Both of the bags above and the ones shown below were not bags the CaliCatBoutique offered in its shop.  Do not assume what you see in any Etsy shop is all there is to offer.  Many sellers will create something just for you.  That is something you cannot get at the mall or your local department store.  I should also add that these custom bags cost a fraction of what designer bags cost.

The two bags shown above are mother-daughter Disney Princess-inspired Marianne clutches.  I fell in love with this fabric, but thought it would suit a smaller bag because it was so colorful.  My daughter wanted glitter on her bag and I wanted something purple.  I love how these turned out, and they are perfect for when we want to travel lightly.

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A post shared by Karen Coutu (@karen3g2s) on Jul 2, 2018 at 10:43am PDT

Above you'll find a larger version of the Denver Backpack and custom Clematis Clutch. Both accompanied me to Utah last year, where my oldest competed at the USA Taekwondo National Championships in Salt Lake City.

These two are the very first custom handbags I ordered from the CaliCatBoutique.  Above is a custom Star Wars Rey-Inspired Sublime Bag.  Below is a custom Disney Princess-inspired Everyday Tote Bag.

Am I stopping there?  NO WAY!!!  I currently have a Disney Mulan-inspired bag and clutch in the works with the CaliCatBoutique.  As you can see, the possibilities are endless on Etsy.  Give mom what she wants, which we all know is to have things her way. Am I right?

What are your favorite Etsy finds for Mom?

Tell us in a comment here.

My Obsession with Color Street Started 2 Months Ago

  If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably saw this post below, sharing my very first experience with Color Street nail polish strips.  My friend had asked me to try them a few months before that, but I wasn't very interested.  My nails were strong and healthy, and I was used to painting them every 6 or 7 days myself.  What changed my mind about trying them months later was a nailfie (nail selfie) she shared of some really cool looking nail art.  I LOVE nail art, but was never able to apply professional looking nail art to my own nails without going to a salon.  So, I picked out a set that caught my eye, and the rest is history . . .

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I tried #BeColorStreet nail polish strips for the first time. The color is 'Ice to Meet You.' They look pretty good since I'm a novice. Now to see how they hold up against everyday wear and the speed at which my nails grow. #quickmani

A post shared by Karen Coutu (@karen3g2s) on Dec 20, 2018 at 1:44pm PST

What exactly are Color Street nail polish strips?

1. Color Street strips are 95% dry real nail polish in an easy-to-use peel and apply format.
2. There is ZERO dry time.
3. There are no tools required for applying these nail strips. Watch this video to see how easy the application process is.
4. Color Street says one manicure can last up to 10 days without chipping.  Personally, both my 12 year old daughter and I have gone up to and past 10 days without seeing one chip.
5. Color Street sets are affordable!  Each set ranges in price from $11 to $14 per set, not including any current promotions.  Also, the strips are double-tipped, so I can do both my nails and my daughter's nails with just one set.
6. There are over 130 expressive colors and designs to choose from, and the selection is updated every fall/winter and spring/summer season. Check out all the colors here.
7. Color Street products are made in the U.S.A.

Color Street nail polish strips in Bordeaux Glitz and Lisbon Nights

After about 6 weeks of loving Color Street, I decided to become an Independent Color Street Stylist.  I am not really a direct sales kind of person, but I really love this product, so I figured I would share it with my friends and family.  Some of my readers have followed my blog for over 10 years, and know that I am genuine in my feelings about the products I share.  I sincerely believe that most everyone who tries this product will love it.  Once you try Color Street, you'll never go back to using nail polish from a bottle.

If you'd like to try Color Street for yourself, visit www.LoveNailMail.com or join my 'Love Nail Mail' VIP Facebook group to request a free sample and to enjoy VIP member perks.  I came up with that name because I always get so excited when I'm expecting nail mail!

Check out some of my recent nailfies below . . . 

One of my favorite Color Street shades is Bordeaux Glitz.

My Color Street manicure in Whole Latte Love

Our first mother-daughter nailfie

Have questions about Color Street?

Share them with me here.

DIY Soft'n Slo Squishies & Paint Markers

The following post contains sponsored content.

Squeezed many times after two coats of Soft'n Slo paint markers completely dried over two days. 

 My 11 year old daughter has been on the crazy-for-squishies train for a couple of years now.  She may even consider herself somewhat of a squishy expert.  That being said, she and her twin brother own several Soft'n Slo squishies, and have been very pleased with them.  They have held up for months before beginning to show signs of being lovingly squeezed over and over again daily. Since this brand of squishies has been pretty dependable overall, I was excited to see DIY Soft'n Slo squishies and paint markers at our local craft store. I purchased one of every style of blank squishy I could find, plus both packs of paint markers (regular colors and brights) as a gift for my daughter.  Our daughter is a crafter at heart, and was so excited to receive this gift bag full of DIY squishies supplies.

Did the Soft'n Slo DIY Squishies & Paint Markers Meet Our Expectations? . . .

The blank squishies felt like the same great quality my children have come to expect from Soft'n Slo.  Unfortunately, the paint markers did not perform as well as we would have liked.  The freshly painted squishies looked amazing with very good coverage. After we allowed the paint to dry for a few days, however, there appeared to be spots where the paint did not adhere to the surface of the squishy.

Squeezed twice after single coat of Soft'n Slo paint markers dried for 4 days.

 I suggested to my daughter that she try adding a second coat of paint.  After allowing the second coat to dry for two days, we found that there were still spots where the white showed through.

Unsqueezed after two coats of Soft'n Slo paint markers dried over course of two days.

 Next came the squeeze test.  When we squeezed the squishy several times, the paint began to crackle and flake off.  What would have been a beautiful one-of-a-kind squishy, did not end up being the masterpiece my daughter had hoped for.

What will we do with the remaining blank squishies?

We still love Soft'n Slo squishies, but the markers were just not the same quality we have come to expect from this brand.  The blank squishies are great though, so what we will likely do is to try painting them with puffy fabric paint.  This type of paint comes in a wide variety of colors and is made to be flexible.  If that goes well, maybe my daughter can try to salvage her cake squishy or perhaps repaint other squishies to give them a makeover.
Two Soft'n Slo squishies our children received as stocking stuffers.

Two Soft'n Slo squishies our children received as stocking stuffers.

What kinds of squishies are your children's favorites?

Tell us in a comment here.