Serendipity Collections - Time & Again Spicy Gingerbread Jar Candle with Cookie Cutter

Mmm - you can just smell the spicy gingerbread warm from the oven. This wonderfully fragrant jar candle from Time and Again is great for the Christmas season. 14.8 oz. Pretty red holiday gingham ribbon with snowflake cookie cutter included.

Serendipity Collections - Time & Again Spicy Gingerbread Jar Candle with Cookie Cutter

Join in the conversation and let us know what YOUR favorite scented candles are.

EtsyBloggers - Welcome to my World

This is my house in Littlestown, PA where I have
my studio. It's a beautiful setting that overlooks acres of farmland out the back. My studio is in the kitchen which faces the back so, as I am creating, I can look out on that gorgeous landscape.

I am fortunate that I have many cabinets in my kitchen so that is where I keep my paints, pencils, stamps, inks, and all the rest of my supplies.

Here is a section of my kitchen where you can see I have been baking but I also use all available space to make my handmade cards, as well as my painted pots, decoupage and collages.

The cabinets below and above this countertop house paint brushes, pieces of wallpaper, brayers, scissors and lots more.

I have an island in the middle of my kitchen where I do most of my creating. Luckily, the island has electrical outlets so that I can easily plug in my heat gun for embossing or my quilting iron when I am working with beeswax.


Here is a picture of my island where I do most of my creating. It is a great space since the top is granite so I can easily clean up anything that lands on it (and believe me that is alot!!!)

Also you can see part of the window (on the far right) and the sliding glass door where I can look out and see the beautiful farmland.

My studio is very conducive to creating and I love standing there stamping and coloring and painting.

Finally I want to show you the landscape that I see every day which in itself is inspiring!

I hope you have enjoyed having a peek at my studio! Remember to do something creative every day!

Fenwick Lighthouse Giclee Print
Originally uploaded by Serendipity Collections

We are pleased to offer the fine artwork of Robert Knudsen at http://www.SerendipityCollections.com.

Beautiful giclee (zhee-CLAY) flat print ready for framing. Printed on high quality watercolor paper from an original oil painting by Robert Knudsen (see Bob's mini bio in Robert Knudsen Fine Art category). Image size is approx. 20" x 30". Overall is approx. 22" x 32".

Lighthouses are always a popular subject and here Bob perfectly captures the old lighthouse on Fenwick Island, Delaware.

Built in 1858, the Fenwick Island Lighthouse has warned ships away from the Fenwick Shoal for 138 years.

The light originally burned whale oil before switching to kerosene. It was tended by two men who lived with their families in houses on either side of the lighthouse, which can be seen in the print.

Today, the light operates automatically by electricity.

Where the lighthouse stands is the old line between Maryland and Pennsylvania.

A Giclee (zhee-CLAY), is an individually produced, high-resolution, high-fidelity, high tech reproduction done on a special large format printer. Giclees are produced from digital scans of existing artwork.

Limited edition of 950. Signed and numbered. Not reproduced in any other large format. Makes a great gift for anyone who loves lighthouses, history, ships, the seashore and fine art. The soothing palette goes with any decor.

We are fortunate to have access to a very small number of these prints. This is a pre-production price so don't miss out on this great piece of art at an affordable price.

This item qualifies for Free Domestic Shipping.

LILAC COFFEE MACHINE 2 CUPS

Very cool! Love the lilac. Unique gift idea. Perfect when you just want a couple cups.

Designs by Vanessa

From Designs by Vanessa, in Vanessa's own words:

Welcome Every Birdie!

My name is Vanessa and I currently live in Arizona with my husband and our 2 furbabies. I have enjoyed anything and everything crafty since I was a little girl.

I have a little (ok, a big) obsession for all things birdie!

What I Love: Friends, Family, Being Crafty, Photography, Scrapbooking, Journaling, Jewelry, Purple, Pink, Traveling, Working Out, Retail Therapy, Reading, Movies, Music, Fashion and all things birdie!

See all of Vanessa's whimsical wonderful designs!

'Dirty Dancing' star Patrick Swayze dies at 57 (AP) - Yahoo! Movies

"It's amazing Molly. The love inside, you take it with you." Rest in Peace, dear Patrick.

'Dirty Dancing' star Patrick Swayze dies at 57 (AP) - Yahoo! Movies

DesignPorn | Toast messenger by Sasha Tseng

Eat your words! This toaster by Sasha Tseng incorporates a little message board where one can write quick notes. The message also gets “toasted” into the toast itself. Fun fun! See Sasha’s website of wonderful projects here.

DesignPorn Toast messenger by Sasha Tseng

Guest Blogger - Denise of L'BRI Pure n' Natural

Mature Skin and Break Outs

The skin care regimen for older skin is basically the same regimen that everyone should be following - Cleanse, Tone, and Moisturize in the morning and before bed. The two things I recommend for my clients over 30 is the addition of an eye gel or cream twice a day, apply after toning and before moisturizing, and using a gentle exfoliating product at home at least twice a week.

Why I recommend a using a gentle exfoliating product - simply because skin becomes less able to shed dead skin cells as we age.

Exfoliating helps your skin looking brighter after just a few uses. Exfoliation can also help prevent some breakouts because it will get rid of the dead skin cells that hang around and clog up your pores.

If you are following the twice daily Cleanse-Tone-Moisturize regime and using a exfoliating product but still getting breakouts then you should try changing your skin care products.

I highly recommend using the cleanser, toner, and moisturizer and exfoliating product from the same brand. Companies design their products to work together and you will typically be happier with the results if you use coordinating products.

You may also find that you if need to use products for oily skin in the Spring and Summer but that you need products for dry skin in the Fall and Winter. This is common and is nothing to worry about.

If a new line doesn't help I offer a Free Skin Care Consultation plus you can order a sample set of the products I use daily. RISK FREE just pay for the small shipping costs of $6.75.

Denise

Links--
Free Skin Care Consultation: http://www.deniseslbri1.com/Skin_Care_Consultation.html
L'Bri Samples: http://www.deniseslbri1.com/Sample_Pak.php

Many thanks to Denise for sharing this informative post with us!

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We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.

Whimsical, Colorful Art | Lindy Gruger Hanson Art and Travels Blog

Lindy’s artwork is amazing! Her paintings are colorful, whimsical and uplifting. She recently blogged about her show and new titles for her works. Make sure to stop by Lindy’s blog to see all her wonderful paintings.

Whimsical, Colorful Art Lindy Gruger Hanson Art and Travels Blog

We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.

Furniture and Pets: Love living with your Pet

Furniture and Pets: Love living with your Pet

Posted using ShareThis

New Card by J. B. Guess & Co.

We've added another wonderful, whimsical Snarkalicious card by J. B. Guess & Co. at Serendipity Collections. Snarkalicious Greetings combine a tiny bit of sarcasm with a generous dollop of delightful, delicious humor! You won't find anything too mean-spirited here. Snarkalicious Greetings just remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. See the entire collection today!

We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.

A Day Trip To Charleston, South Carolina

Recently we visited our daughter in Myrtle Beach and took a day trip to Charleston. What a lovely town with the historic architecture of its downtown neighborhoods! I wanted to share some of the beautiful inns and homes we saw while strolling the streets of this elegant southern city. The extent of classic Georgia, Federal, Adamesque, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victoria homes is not found anywhere else in America, but is featured block after block throughout the Charleston peninsula.

If you plan to be in the Charleston area this fall one of the upcoming events is Preservation Society of Charleston: Fall Tour of Homes: September 24 – October 25, 2009.

We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.

Acai Berry Scam

I have been bombarded for quite some time now with spam emails and ads on social network sites touting the benefits of the Acai (ah-sigh-ee) Berry so recently I decided to do some research on the subject.

Here is a little of what the Better Business Bureau has to say:

Arlington, VA – January 5, 2009 - Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements to sell acai-berry related weight loss products. BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers nationwide who thought they were signing up for a free-trial offer of acai berry weight loss products that were supposedly endorsed by Oprah, Rachel Ray and other celebrities; in the end, the free trial cost them, month after month.

Read more of what the BBB has to say

Consumer Reports says this:

Health benefits?

In January, Consumer Reports said that evidence on the health benefits of acai berries is scant. In 2008, we blogged about promising study findings on the heart-healthy benefits of red and white wine; however, it was not clear that resveratrol was the beneficial component. In 2007, we reported on research findings that resveratrol helped mice live longer. It is not clear whether concentrated resveratrol is effective and safe in humans.
But even if these substances are beneficial, there’s no guarantee that they’re in any of the products being marketed as containing resveratrol, especially from Web sites using misleading and annoying tactics. Dietary supplements aren’t subjected to the same government scrutiny as prescription drugs, even though some promoters insinuate curative properties.

Read more of what Consumer Reports has to say.

I became aware that there is a website called U. S. Consumer Reports touting the benefits of Acai Berry BUT it is NOT affiliated with the Consumer Reports publication.

Please be very careful about purchasing any of these products.

We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.

Announcing J. B. Guess at Serendipity

We are thrilled to offer the delightful artwork of J. B. Guess and Co. at Serendipity Collections. Here is a sample of the artist's whimsical Snarkalicious Greetings line:


In the coming months we will be adding more lines from J. B. Guess. You will love these unique greeting cards so make sure to stop by and see them today!

Lavender Fields Soap

This just looks so delicious! I love lavender and found this on the web. They are temporarily out of stock and no wonder. I am going to keep checking back though AND they have lots of other cool soothing products! (via Lathered Up)

Wee Ninja

How cute is this??? This cute little ninja would be a darling little companion. Get yours!

If August Comes - Can Christmas be Far Behind?

Wow, it's already August and that means it's time for shop owners to start thinking about Christmas. At Serendipity, we are making plans now for our Christmas Header in our shop. That is always a fun part of the job - choosing photos, getting background colors (last year we used mostly blues and reds) and planning a layout.

Last year's header

We always offer complimetary gift wrap so here is a picture that resembles what one of our wrapped gifts looks like. We're considering getting a couple new boxes this year. Right now, we offer the poinsettia and a glossy red box.

Some of our best sellers at Christmas (and all year 'round) are our travel mugs so we will probably increase our mug inventory.

One of the things we do at Christmas is publish USPS and UPS shipping calendars and we make a chart letting folks know that if they order by a certain date, these are the carriers and methods available to them. This is a little time consuming but it is well worth it so that we always keep our customers informed. Here is an example of our shipping chart.

We network all year long but we especially network as it is getting closer to the holidays. We love to cross-promote and showcase other businesss owners. This year we might try to make a shopping list of must-see shops, so if you would like to be included, please contact us at info@serendipitycollections.com.

Have fun, everyone, getting ready for the holidays!

"Ultimate Summer Read" Bookmark
Originally uploaded by jbguess

OMG, just found another MUST-HAVE from Jessie! Be sure to see all her creative products at http://www.jbguess.etsy.com

no-major-appliances
Originally uploaded by jbguess

I LOVE this card! Another one of my good friend Jessie's amazing artwork! See her Etsy Shop at http://jbguess.etsy.com today!

Precious Quilts: A christening!

Precious Quilts: A christening!

USB tulip hub

Just looks like fun!. Great when you need an extra USB port. I think this would brighten that sterile high-tech area! Cute idea.

Cool Salad for a Hot Summer Night

Layered Pea Salad




6 cups bite size pieces of ice-berg lettuce
2 medium stalks of celery, thinly sliced
(1 cup) 8 medium green onions, sliced
1/4 c. chopped red pepper
1 package (10oz) frozen green peas, thawed and drained
Chopped hardboiled eggs
12 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place lettuce in a 9" by 13" glass baking dish (or in a large glass bowl). Layer the celery, onions, red pepper, peas, bacon, cheese, salt and pepper and hardboiled eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, and sour cream or yogurt. Spread this mixture like you are frosting a cake over the top. (sprinkle the top with a little extra cheese for a garnish.) Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors but no longer than 12 hours.

Feel free to experiment with seasonings (spice it up with cayenne pepper, horseradish sauce) and add more layers of other ingredients (for instance broccoli or cauliflower).

Great salad for a hot summer night!

Bon Appetit!

Blissliving Home Anis Bedding

I found this pretty bedding set on ThisNext. Love the black and white with little splashes of color!

Giant Microbes - Penicillin

These little stuffed "animals" are hilarious. My husband sells medical supplies and equipment and has purchased a number of these for one of his customers, who collects them. I have seen many of these and they are just too cute! Unique gift idea!

New Mugs at Serendipity

Look for our new mugs just in at Serendipity. Great selection. See our Fun Mugs! Great sayings like This Day was a Total Waste of Make-Up, I'm Always Late but I Look Good, Put your Big Girl Panties on and Deal with It and more!

www.flickr.com

This is Just to Say

I was thinking about my mother, JoAnn, today and this was one of her favorite poems and one that she taught. It's a fun poem and I hope you like it, too!

This is Just to Say

William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

William Carlos Williams was a doctor, writing in his spare time. He came home late one night, hungry, after treating a patient. He found the plums in the fridge, ate them and left the poem as a note for this wife.

1. Is Williams really and truly sorry for eating the plums?
2. Is this really a poem?
3. We welcome your own apology poem. Just insert it into your comment.

Your thoughts?

Back to Normal at Serendipity

We have our technical problems resolved thanks to Kevin at ipower and Adam at Just Spiffy so stop on by the shop and see what's new for spring!

Serendipity Collections 2008 All Star Award

At the end of 2008, less than 15% of Constant Contact's more than 250,000 customers met their All Star requirements. We at Serendipity Collections are proud to have been named a Constant Contact 2008 All-Star for maintaining sound permission-based email marketing and list management best practices.

Who is the real St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Although he is one of the most recognized figures in Christianity, his life is a bit of a mystery. Many of the stories normally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous telling of his ridding Ireland of all snakes, are false. This is just exaggerated storytelling.

He was born in Britain near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. His parents were quite wealthy but not particularly religious. At sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They took him to Ireland where he was in captivity for 6 years. During this time, he turned to his religion for comfort, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his own writing, God’s voice spoke to him in a dream, telling him to leave Ireland. He had to walk 200 miles from County Mayo to the Irish coast. He escaped to Britain and reported that he had a second revelation. It was in the form of an angel in a dream that told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after this vision, Patrick began religious training which lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to convert the Irish. This contradicts the widely held belief that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.

Patrick incorporated traditional rituals into his lessons of Christianity. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish traditionally honored their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross. Irish tradition is rich in story-telling so it is no wonder that the tales of Patrick’s life have been embellished and exaggerated over the many years.

Source: www.History.com

Gags, Giggles, Goofy

New Tattoo Sleeves. I am thinking about carrying these in my shop! What a giggle!

These are nylon and one size fits all. You just pull the sleeve up over your arm and it looks like a real tattoo!

Pretty cool, huh?