Back To School!!

Hello! My name is Gwendolyn Garcia, also known as shop seller GwendolynForever on etsy! Crazy, but YES! it is that time of year again... summer has flown by like a dream, there is a crispness in the breeze and a chill at night, the leaves are beginning to take flight in a brown and amber spiral dance of Autumn wind... more and more apples and winter squashes at the Farmer's Market, and a newsletter from school... It is Back-To-School Time again!

Of course, I have fond memories of Back-To-School shopping as a child. Brand new binders, folders, paper, pencils, and a few new things to keep me warm and presentable for my first day of school... Fun! Here are a few handmade items that bring the FUN back to Back-To-School shopping... items that are sweet and enduring enough to carry the nostalgia of Autumn and School Days through-out the years.

A love for quality that lasts and eye-candy that stimulates creative thoughts, learning, and dreams... we teach our children valuable lessons by how we choose to spend our money: Handmade, High Quality, and Beautiful... Timeless Values that we can pass on to our young buy purchasing hand-crafted items from talented sellers like these... Enjoy!

Children's Big Ruffle Pants by Kate Emerson Designs
Adorable, comfy, and warm... Perfect for the playground!

Apple Jacket by Handamade
An apple for the teacher? Perfect for the Teacher's Pet or a fun, healthy snack!

Pencil Case for 3 Ring Binder by malibu quilts
A cute and sturdy case to keep all the essentials close at hand! Available in many different prints and colors!

Cardinal Red Hand Knit Fingerless Gloves by ohmay
Ideal for keeping hands stylishly warm while walking to school in the nippy morning cool!

Upcycled Denim Hobo Bag with Fringe by Lulus Creations 1
So pretty and original!

Golden Phoenix Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bag Set by Random Sacks of Kindness
Ingenious! Imagine the money you will save on plastic baggies... available in many colors and designs!

Mod Square Minky Fleece Hoodie by The Enchanted Square
Cute! and cozy, too!

Craft Organizer by emma jeffery 123
Sweet! Perfect for your artistic little princess!

Owl Case for the iTouch by EvelynX

An adorable and highly intriguing way to keep those expensive gadgets protected!


I hope you enjoyed these Back-To-School features... for more goods from our talented CCCOE team sellers just type "cccoe" and "back to school" in the etsy search engine! Peace!

Happy Birthday Virgo!

Born August 23 through September 22 Virgo heralds the end of summer and the nearing of the harvest. Virgo has always been a symbol of fertility and is the only astrological sign symbolized by a women.

Virgo Vintage Pendant Acrylic by estudiomartita

Acorn and Oak Leaves Stud Earrings by soradesigns

Being good analysts, Virgos dig into every possible fact and detail, before deciding on something. Their attention to detail, meticulousness and intelligence make them practical and diligent workers.

Numbers Print 11x14 by BlackberryCottageHD

Risks, any thing which is hazardous to health, chaos and even noise are not in the good books of this personality. Changes, alterations, disorder and asymmetry do find any room in a Virgo's life.

Jade Asymmetry Ruby Red and Aqua Blue Bracelet by amaniworks

Dangerous Baths Blank Card by FranticMeerKat

Famous Virgos include Greta Garbo, Mother Teresa, Michael Jackson, Ingrid Bergman, Richard Gere, Buddy Holly and Stephen King.

This is the 8th post in our series of Astrological signs by Sophie n Me.

Happy Zucchini Day!

Zucchini garden marker by ThreeSistersHarvest

Did you know that today was a holiday? Maybe not a get-off-work holiday but special nonetheless. August 8 is "Leave Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Day." My yard is small and my thumb is black so I won't be a leaver but hopefully I'll be a leavee. If so, I'll make some of these, my favorite enchiladas ever.

Zucchini Enchiladas
6 corn tortillas
1 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup zucchini, grated coarsely
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce

Heat the oil and fry the tortillas for just a few seconds, until soft. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Pour about 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of an 8x8 square baking pan. Lay out a tortilla and put some cheese, onion, and zucchini down the center. Roll it up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with the other tortillas, then pour the rest of the sauce over the top and make sure all the tortillas get some sauce on them so they don't dry out. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, until hot and the cheese is melted.

If this year's Zucchini Day just snuck up on you and you'd like to plan better next year, here's some garden inspiration from our talented CCCOE team:

Garden Tool Apron by HeartC

Rose Garden Candles by ForestCandleStudio

Girl with Floral Dress and Butterflies art print by ChristaHoward

Garden Gnome Stitch Markers by DesignsbyTami

Bewitched Garden Necklace by SoraDesigns

Tiny Tiny Terrarium by TortoiseLovesDonkey

Dangling Seed Earrings by Gioelli

Child's Flower Garden Fleece Hoodie by TheEnchantedSquare

Repurposed Bird Feeder by TransientTreasures

Post by gardening-challenged Janet of CustomSepia

Pull Your Hair Back

I've been experimenting with making barrettes...

...and I got to wondering. I can't be the only one. What sort of barrettes are my fellow teammates coming up with?

Well, that's an easy search.

First I found these two stunning pieces from The Rustic Home and LisamariesPiece.

These are the sort of barrettes that I find myself drooling over at craft fairs. My hair is pretty thick, so I need nice things to hold it back. Sturdy is good too.

Then I saw these shiny ones by The Pink Camellia and 2Dy4.  

It was hard to narrow it down to one example from each of these shops. Too many choices.

Then there were some flower-themed from Snapdragon Lace and Rindow Designs.

I need to stop looking. There are so many nice barrettes and hair accessories. I can't choose.

These from Lil' Princess Bowtique and My Sweetie Bean are way cute.

These are aimed at a younger set. I don't think I could get away with wearing them myself. Although, I might just try...

Finally, the unique from Tresijas and EvalynBlackDesigns.

The first one is from an actual vinyl record album. As for the second, we all know that feathers are really big in accessories at the moment.  

I'm impressed. I think it's time to extend my barrette collection. Can you ever have too many barrettes?  

This post was contributed by Liz from Zizi Rho Designs. All pictures link back to the items on etsy. Also, search "barrette" and "cccoe team" to find some other amazing items.  

Tomato red and Powder blue ~ What a beautiful combination !

An absolutely adorable Tomato toy from Wags and Wiggles in Sebastopol

Very sweet Rustic Heart stickers from K is for Calligraphy in Moraga

Red Dot Passport Pocket by Jack and Bee Designs in Los Angeles

  Garnet Aquamarine bracelet from Love Jane Jewelry from Hollywood

 A loveable Two Tone Wool Rabbit from Zfla in Los Angeles

Aqua Coral Pillow from Sea Shell Collection in Los Angeles


so many tempting picks, you can visit these shops by clicking on the photos or links ♥