Featured EtsyBlogger: MagdaleneJewels

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is MagdaleneJewels. She sells unique handmade jewelry. She also has a second shop MagdaleneKnits where she sells hand crocheted and knit items. Visit her two shops and don't forget to stop by her blog to say hello!

Spring is in the air!

Spring is finally here! It's time to go outside and enjoy the sun! Check out this fun spring POCKET BLANKIE in my baby boutique, Two Zany Zebras:

The pocket blankie is a unique and zany concept. The blanket is adorned with a pocket which allows for hours of peek-a-boo fun. Just slip a few toys into the pocket and watch as baby is entertained and works on his hand-eye coordination.

Featured EtsyBlogger: DizzyDragonflies

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is DizzyDragonflies. She sells beautiful hand dyed yarn. Her shop is full of yarn in fun vibrant colors. She also sells a few knitted creations of her own. Visit her shop and don't forget to stop by her blog to say hello!

It's all about the card...

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! That means it's time to break out the Valentine's Day cards to give to your sweetheart. When I was little I remember agonizing over each card in my box of Valentine's to determine who should get the "You're Hot Stuff" card and who should get the cordial "Have a happy Valentine's Day" card in my class. These are the important decisions that could change the path of your life forever-or so I though so when I was young...
Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie are giving Valentine's Day cards to their friends this year. They are still at the stage where they don't care what the cards say as long as they are Princess and Toy Story themed and they have candy to go with them.

Zany thought of the day: I hope you all get at least one Valentine's Day card this year that says "You're Hot Stuff!" I know I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Featured EtsyBlogger: TILTcreations

This month's featured Etsyblogger is TILTcreations. She is a talented artist who makes handmade handbags and accessories in various sizes and styles. Each bag is one of a kind so if you see something you like you'd better snatch it up quick because it may not be there later! My favorite item in her shop is the Casual Backpack in burst of Pink, Orange, and Red pictured above. To see all her creative items visit her shop. She also has a second shop which is stocked with patterns and fabric: TILTtoo. Don't forget to visit her two blogs here and here.

Rain Rain Go away!

Winters in Southern California are mild and we rarely need to worry about snow. The only time the weather really interferes with what we want to do is when it rains. This week it is forecasted to rain everyday!

So the major question becomes, "What do you do with the kids when they are going to be cooped up inside all day to prevent everyone from going stir-crazy?"

Answer: Let them burn off steam at JUMP ZONE!



Jump Zone is a local indoor playground with several bounce houses, inflatable slides, and an air hockey table! The Zany Kids love going there and the whole family has a blast!

It will leave kids screaming, "Rain Rain Come again!!!!"

Featured EtsyBlogger: Nico Designs

This month's featured Etsyblogger is Nico Designs. She is a very talented artist who creates beautiful things out of fabric. Her shop is stocked with diaper bags, totes, crib shoes, pin cushions, and art dolls. She states she is a SAHM to two young kids and sews for her sanity. I can completely relate to needing a creative outlet being a SAHM myself. My favorite item in her shop is the Austin Ave in Fresco Diaper Bag Set pictured above. To see all her creative items visit her shop and don't forget to take a peek at her blog!

A Little Holiday Cheer for down under!

We have received a few early Christmas presents this year, but my favorite by far is the Christmas Tree skirt my sister (AKA Aunt Ju Ju) made for our family!

I love the colors in it and it's also reversible!

Don't you think it adds a little Holiday Cheer for down under?

Zany thought of the day: Why doesn't the Christmas tree skirt get a lot of attention? The star on top tends to take all the attention and focus away from everything else! The Christmas tree skirt does so much work covering the base of the tree and makes a nice area to place gifts on...Have you ever wondered where the idea of the Christmas tree skirt came from? It's believed the tradition of decorating a tree began in Germany where they used candles attached to the tree with melted wax (Wow talk about a fire hazard!) The tree skirts were placed under the tree the catch the wax that dripped from the candles and waa-la the tradition of the Christmas tree skirt was born!

December's Featured EtsyBlogger

This month's featured Etsyblogger is CalKat. CalKat is made up of two creative artisans. They have been making and designing OOAK pieces of jewelry for over 5 years! Their shop is stocked with bookmarks, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, as well as beads. One of my favorite items from this shop is Santa Shepherd's Hook Bookmark pictured below:

To see all their other fun items visit their FOUR shops:
CalKat
Ametista
TheClayShoppe
YogaFairies

And don't forget to take a peek at their blog!

November's featured Etsyblogger

This month's featured Etsyblogger is Thefabmissb. She is a very talented artist with not one, but TWO fabulous Etsy shops! Her first shop, Thefabmissb, carries unique vintage items for your house. My favorite item from her shop is the Nine Framed Circus Playing Cards pictured below:


Her second shop, Beckykazana, is stocked with prints, cards, originals, and vintage inspired chenille pipe cleaner ornaments. My favorite item from this shop is Mimi the Chenille French Poodle Christmas Ornament pictured below:


To see all her other fun items visit her two shops and don't forget to take a peek at her blog!

Monster Mania!

On different occasions I've been asked, "What is the most successful product in your Etsy shop, Two Zany Zebras?" I try to come up with several designs and various products such as monster clothes, Zarkles (whimsical creatures), monster bags, blankets, monster burp cloths, mucus monsters, hot/cold ouchy bags, and bibs. I have numerous monsters to choose from, but for some reason it seems like people gravitate to the monster design pictured above. Some say he reminds them of cookie monster, others say he looks friendly, regardless of the reason people seem to love him. You can't help but smile when you see the silly monster grinning at you. Kids love to feel the super soft texture of the monster and proudly keep their shirts on! These monsters can come in any color imaginable! If you'd like to order one of these unique monsters, please go to my Etsy shop, Two Zany Zebras, for further information!

A Goulishly good time at Disneyland

The Zany family had had a year to recover from our first experience at Mickey's trick-or-treat party at Disney's California Adventure Park and felt we were up for another challenge. (You can read all about our adventures with the candy possessed princess and her ferocious side-kick---->Here!) We got to Disneyland midday and decided to spend the day playing at Disneyland before heading over to California's Adventure Park for the trick-or-treat party.

It was a perfect day to be at Disneyland-the lines were short and the weather was perfect. We had a fun time visiting with Pluto and Goofy and both kids seemed more at ease meeting with the characters. Zany Janie's highlight was meeting Tinkerbell and one of her friends. She is absolutely obsessed with the Tinkerbell movie so she was in complete awe standing in the fairies presence. We rode a few rides and I've come to the conclusion that the Snow White ride is creepy and wrong! After riding it with Zany Janie having a death grip on me and bordering on becoming hysterical I've decided it is too scary of a ride to be in Fantasyland!

In the evening we headed over to California's Adventure Park for the trick-or-treat party. Wacky Zacky dressed up as Spiderman sans the face mask and Zany Janie was a beautiful Cinderella princess. Once again Papa Z dressed up as Daddy and I changed my costume a bit this year and decided to be a pregnant SAHM.

The kids were excited about the candy, but not quite as excited as last year. There were no candy possessed princesses on the prowl this evening, only one pregnant mama who was craving chocolate! Don't get me wrong, the kids still ate a lot of candy and Zany Janie continues to eat through wrappers like she's in a world record candy eating contest. The highlight for the kids this year seemed to be meeting the princesses, Handy Manny, and Woody.

It was a long day, but worth it for the experiences and family time we spent together.

Zany thought of the day: Who's your favorite Disney Character?

October's featured Etsyblogger

This month's featured Etsyblogger is madebymelissa. She is an engineer by day and a talented artist at night! She makes beautiful and unique jewelry and crocheted items. Her shop is stocked with adorable toys, blankets, scarves, washcloths, dishcloths, potholders, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Her fun and cuddly toys caught my eye. With a baby due in December I may have to buy a couple of these cute creatures! To see all her fun items visit her shop and don't forget to take a peek at her blog!

The Funky Pumpkin

One would think from the name "The Funky Pumpkin" that it was referring to a dance, but that's just not the case. It had finally cooled down a few degrees from 110 to the mid-90s and Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie were in a fall festive mood. We decided to bust out the paint and make funky pumpkins. Once the paint was out, the kids began to diligently work on their masterpieces.



Once the final projects were done I was shocked to find not TWO funky pumpkins, but THREE!


Somehow a third funky pumpkin appeared with the same shade of pink Zany Janie had been using! This one was the funkiest pumpkin of them all:


Zany thought of the day: Need a festive time waster? Check out Better Homes and Gardens Personalized Pumpkins where you can carve your own virtual pumpkin!

*Love*Sew*Create*

With Zany Baby number three about to make her grand entrance into the world in 99 + or - days, I had to sacrifice my sewing room so she could have a room fit for a princess. All of my crafty things have somehow managed to fit into the Guest room/Computer room. I know how curious people are about the spaces where others create, so I thought I'd show off my new space!

This is the little nook for my sewing machine and table. The Geisha's on the wall like to oversee and discuss what I am working on.


Here is the computer desk which often calls to me and tries to get me to procrastinate! Unfortunately it often wins out!


These are the book cases which house all my scrapbooks and scrapbook paper. It also has close to a hundred books which I'd love to read when I get some spare time! I'm guessing they may get read when Wacky Zacky, Zany Janie, and the upcoming baby are in college!


Here's a peek into the closet which has all of the fabric used to make those super Zany designs from my Etsy shop, Two Zany Zebras!


No room would be complete without something from Etsy. I have Sumo Wrestlers above the closet door guarding all of my fabric. These cute decals come from the Etsy shop, beanepods.


Zany thought of the day: Despite having this special place to create, I find my best ideas come to me when I'm in the shower.

September's featured Etsyblogger

This month's featured Etsyblogger is designsbyvanessa. She is a talented artist who dabbles in jewelery, fabric, and paper crafting. Her love for "birdies" is definitely shown through her work! Her shop is stocked with adorable iron on patches, cards, and jewelery. To see all her fun items visit her shop and don't forget to take a peek at her blog!

I love SUSHI

My favorite food hands down is SUSHI! I love it so much I'd eat it every day if we could afford it! Unfortunately we don't get this treat often so when we do go out for sushi it is an exciting time! My love for sushi didn't start until well after I married Papa Z in 2002. Prior to being married I despised sushi and wouldn't have let it touch my lips even on a dare. Fortunately my family in Indiana loves sushi as much and I do and it has become a tradition to go out for a sushi feast after picking me up at the airport. The place we go to in Indiana is appropriately named "I Love Sushi". So far the kids won't touch a sushi roll, but they do enjoy eating their food from chop sticks!


Zany thought of the day: A sushi roll a day keeps the doctor away!

August's featured Etsyblogger

This month's featured Etsyblogger is MemoriesForLifesb. She is a very talented artist who makes handmade greeting cards, one of a kind scrapbooks, embellishments, and does various custom work of all kinds! Her shop is stocked with adorable scrapbooks, greeting cards, recipe books, and notebooks. I am an avid scrapbooker and adore all of her word scrapbook albums. My favorite item in her shop is the Family Word Scrapbook Album pictured above. To see all her fun items visit her shop and don't forget to take a peek at her blog!

Ho Ho Ho---> It's a Christmas in July Sale!!!!!

Want to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping? Check out the Christmas in July Sale put on by the Etsybloggers Team! Lots of fun and unique gifts can be found on sale now! My shop, Two Zany Zebras, will have free shipping for any item that has red or green on it. There will also be select items on sale in the sale section. Also, don't forget to check out all the other Etsybloggers shops to see what goodies they have on sale----->Click Here! And don't forget those stocking stuffers!

Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggety Dog!

This is a time to celebrate! Did you know July is National Hot Dog Month? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, there's actually a national council dedicated to Hot dogs and sausages), Americans will be consuming hot dogs in record numbers this summer. They estimate over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans between Memorial Day and Labor Day! Any guess as to the biggest hot dog eating day of the year? It's July 4th where the council estimates 155 million hot dogs are eaten! I'm guessing the majority of those were eaten at the world famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest where this year Joey Chestnut won by eating 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Yummy! To wet your appetite for those beloved dogs I will leave you with a unique recipe from Taste of Home. Enjoy!

Corn Dog Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1-1/2 pounds hot dogs
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages (8-1/2 ounces each) corn bread/muffin mix
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

In a skillet, saute celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add onions; saute for 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl; set aside. Cut hot dogs lengthwise into quarters, then cut into thirds. In the same skillet, saute the hot dogs for 5 minutes or until lightly browned; add to vegetables. Set aside 1 cup.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage and pepper. Add the remaining hot dog mixture. Stir in corn bread mixes. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheese. Spread into a shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Top with reserved hot dog mixture and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 12 servings.

Zany thought of the day: Need a catchy song that will not get out of your head for days? Then listen to this song!