Heaven's to Etsy, I like it!

So is born a new segment to the variety show blog, "Heaven's to Etsy, I like it!" There are sooo many amazingly talented artists on Etsy. But every once in a while, you stumble upon a product so incredible and different from the hand made clothing and accessories, art pieces, and one of kind gadgets and gizmos. And sometimes, when you find such an item, instead of exclaiming "What the etsy?!", you say, "Heavens to Etsy, I LIKE it!" Well, you may not say that, but for some reason I do. And I realize its a little odd. But these words rolled off my tongue like spanish from the mouth of Dora (Took me waay too long to come up with that analogy).

Now, I enjoy a good craft show, hence my fondnes of Etsy. There are certain boothes that I pass by, knowing that I will never purchase a painted gourd, a stone with a quote about sisters (ok, I did that one time, but it was back in the 80's and my sis still has it), or a teddy bear decked out in lace! That's why, when I clicked on the thumbnail for an image of a gourd, thinking it would be good for What the Etsy, I was shocked and amazed at the beautiful hand crafted lampshade made from a gourd! Check out Studio Tempera to see what I'm talking about. You'll covet one for your decor as well. . .Heaven's to Etsy, I just know it!

What the Etsy? Baby Heads

Ok, so its What the Etsy again! What creative, handmade, yet kinda creepy item will we ponder today? As the title suggests, baby heads. That's right, apparently baby heads are quite the trend for a certain sector of that free spirited, rebellious, dare to live against the machine art community that we all secretly envy and long to be a part of. Who needs insurance? Not me, I stay well by a combination of herbal tea, vitamin A, E, and ZPPD! A 401K? How much money could I possibly need when I am 65, living in a camper in the mountains/trailer by the beach/cabin on the lake, painting nature and dancing barefoot around bonfires? I applaud those who actually take that leap, trusting it will all work out in the end. Meanwhile, I'll continue my 9-5, resting assured on the benefits that come with it while I do art projects in my mind (much like my blog for the past 6 months or so) until one day I can slow down and try my hand at a few of these crafts I so love. I will not, however, try my hand at making creepy art out of baby heads. It does nothing for me, except make my mind wonder into horrible places full of devastating things!

Warning: if you are in the early stages of pregnancy, or any stage for that matter, have a young child, or have experienced loss in this area, you may not want to view these. . .just saying.

Here goes. . .The Art of Baby Heads

Sea Creature Baby Head



Doll in Blue



Baby Sculpture



Babe Sapien



Pickled Baby Candle



Baby Face in Gold



So, there you have it. Baby Head Art. Dare you dabble in it?

What the Etsy?

I can tell this is going to be a favorite category of mine. I love the site, Etsy, I really do. In fact, I've purchased many a gifts from the handmade/Indie promoting site. I even strive to have an Etsy shop one of these days. Granted, my crafts need honing, but a pipe dream it is not! Some products I innocently stumble across while perusing the site leave me with my head tilted to the side and one eyebrow cocked saying "What the. . .". So, for lack of a better word to complete that thought, I have started saying to myself (in my ongoing dialogue of a blog), "What the Etsy?".

The first item I would like to throw out there is the Good Swimmer: A sperm cell Christmas Ornament for your tree.

Now, Christmas is a magical time. And, although its a stretch, I can see the relationship between a sperm cell (the beginning of life) and Christ (the beginning of everlasting life). However, I'm not sure that's where this artist's mind was. I'm not exactly sure WHERE this artist's mind was. 167 people have viewed this item, though. Surely 167 people don't relate sperm cells to Christmas. In fact, its quite ironic. There were no sperm cells involved in the first Christmas. That's what makes it Christmas. I'm just sayin. . .

Can't get you outta my head

I've had a blog for quite some time now. I write in it daily, hourly, sometimes constantly. I come up with clever titles, recap my days, share pictures with HILARIOUS captions and link my readers to the most useful, craziest, and zaniest of websites! I review tv shows, songs, products, websites and restaurants. I share my daughter's milestones. I confess my shortcomings. I rant about injustices and I pay tribute to everyday heroes. So, why is this the first entry you're reading? Why do I start afresh today with Variety Show Blog? Because, until now, all of my blogging efforts have been confined to the ever flowing slate in my mind. It all started with social networking. As I'm sure you've experienced, sites such as facebook and its more juvenile foe, myspace, have forced me to think in third person. "Jill is creating a blog", "Jill is about to slam into the slow moving moron in front of her if they don't get out of her way", "Jill wishes her daughter would stop asking 'why'". It didn't stop there, though. I am such a loyal friend (loyal, nosy, same difference) that I keep up with each and every blog written by my friends, their friends, their friend's great aunt, the girl I went to summer camp with, the complete stranger I linked to from the girl I went to summer camp with, the stay at home mom blog (or 20), the working moms' blogs, the girl I envied in highschool's blog, and of course the Pioneer Woman (because who doesn't keep up with the Pioneer Woman?). After following so many scripted life stories, I began to script my own.Problem is, I couldn't figure out how to confine my blog into one concise, organized site. I was all over the place. Then it hit me. I don't have to have a "mom" blog or a "critique blog". There are no blog police forcing me to choose one aspect of myself and only spill my guts regarding it. I don't know why it didn't dawn on me sooner. Some of my favorite things are variety based. The Soup, The Melting Pot, gossip magazines, Long Island Ice Tea, Chinese buffets, Sonny and Cher, Mrs Dash, Magic 96, gumbo, imitation crab meat, Britney Spears. . .you get the gist (yeah, I thought it was 'jist' too). I like things all mixed up, eclectic if you will. Thus is born "The Variety Show Blog". Original title? Maybe not. Will it work for now? I'm thinkin' so.

Now, I've seen many a blog with several "themes". "Wordless Wednesday", "Friday at 5", "Sunday Sermon". But, I'm afraid I can't be confined to blogging about a certain topic on a certain day of the week. I have several topics in mind (and clever names to match), but I might blog a tv review 2 nights in a row, or a product review twice in one day, I might even vent about an annoying coworker every other day. There is no rhyme or reason to the Variety Show Blog! Its a surprise everyday! I do have a backlog of etsy products I plan to review in a category entitled " What the Etsy?", so it may appear frequently for the first week or so. I also feel strongly about passive aggressive facebook statuses. So, you may see "analysis of a facebook status" more than once in the next few days. I may even lose some "friends" over it. I say, its worth it for the joy of sweet release.

I do hope you'll stay tuned. I promise not to bore you. And I welcome your interaction. It irks me when people disable comments. Challenge me, agree with me, laugh with me, be appalled with me-just don't be mean to me. Despite my tough exterior, I am quite the delicate flower.

Consider this the ground breaking ceremony for the next "Bloggie" triple threat, The Variety Show Blog!