It was a lovely Saturday morning in the summer of 1989. We couldn’t watch our favorite cartoons (you know, the usual Fraggle Rock and Alvin and the Chipmunks) until after we did our chores. This meant cleaning the baseboards and all. You see, mom wasn’t strict but she used to say, “It’s one thing to be poor, it’s another thing to be dirty”. At the time, I didn’t get it but certainly do now. She instilled these cleaning values in us at a very young age; perhaps, what some mother’s may see as cruel but what a husband or a mother in law would appreciate if you know what I mean. I digress.
While mom had this rule of chores before toons, she was divorced and carried two jobs in order to support the family. She was in the office that Saturday morning and after we finished our duties, we watched our favorite shows, ate our favorite cereal and went out to play. We didn't have iPhones or other gadgets that consumed our time but rather we spent our summers running around in the neighborhood, sweating in the Texas heat. I remember crossing the street to knock on the door of our neighbors, shouting, “Mrs. Garcia, can Manuel please come out and play?" My cousin Angela tagged along and we ran around on the empty lot next door where we would always, sadly, find dead animals like opossums and rats. By 2:00 pm, we jumped in the plastic kiddy pool that Manuel's family owned and before we know it, we started talking about why parent's kiss. We thought it was funny and weird at the same time but to our curiosity, one thing led to another...Angela dared me to kiss Manuel. Although there was a some hesitation, we went in for the peck! It lasted for maybe one second before we heard Angela scream, ever so loudly, “Eww Gross” and ran off in laugher. I jumped out of the kiddy pool, shaking from head to toe and immediately ran back home, no towel, barefoot, and water dripping down my legs. I don't recall saying goodbye to Manuel. Neither did Angela and to my surprise I found her on the phone with my mother telling her in Spanish, "Tía, Melly besó Manuel!" Yes, indeed, she called my mother who was likely unhappy at work to tell her what I did. I was so scared and embarrassed. I could hear her firm voice on the other side tell Angela, "Let me speak to her!" Oh no, I thought to myself. I was trembling with a puddle of water on the wooden floor we had just finished cleaning, while Angela stood there with a silly smirk that made me want to slap her. I thought mom would "punish" me with more chores but it was quite the opposite. She didn't sound happy but I could hear her somewhat giggle underneath her breath and the conversation went something like this...
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While you're sitting at home wondering if it's even worth shopping for holiday decorations, remember that "you are what you surround yourself in". Whether big or small, why not enjoy the precious things in life that bring you joy? At buzzbetter, we love nothing more than to decorate our home with fabulous fall decor and spicy scented candles throughout the house. It just reminds us of gathering with family and friends, even if we may not be able to this year. So today, we would like to share a few small shops that have fantastic fall decorations available at affordable prices. How about something sweet that you may hang from your fireplace mantel or on your stairway? This pumpkin spice, coffee cup latte garland is made out of wood with a stylish buffalo plaid design. It is beautifully handcrafted by Birch and Beam based in Tallahassee, Florida and available for just $31. Since it is made out of wood, it is a lovely garland that you can use for many years to come. Creative candy corn crochet decorations by HMK Handmade, based in West Virginia. While these stuffed decorations may make you want to splurge on the real sweet treat, these are ideal pieces for coffee tables or dining buffets. These candy corn decorations are handmade with acrylic yarn and stuffed with premium fiberfil, measuring 5 1/2" tall and 5" wide and running for just $8 a piece or buy more than one and get a discount! We have always believed that embroidery takes some love and patience. It is an art that is not easy to market as an entrepreneur and because of this, we highly admire and appreciate shops that sell embroidery hoop art. The Artsy Market Shop, based in Denver Colorado has the most beautiful designs available for the Fall season. This hand embroidered, maple leaf on a gingham flannel fabric matches perfectly with the coffee cup garland from Birch and Beam and available for just $25. Just like a fashionable outfit, we could see this type of fabric throughout our home that would make us feel warm and cozy. What a great combination! The following door mat from Doormats Direct may be best for September through December, but for $44.98 why not make the best of your buck and use it any time of the year? Welcome your guests with gratitude or bring a smile to your delivery drivers face as they drop off your amazon packages. Remind them how thankful you are for what they do and how blessed life can really be. The holiday season is not just a time to reflect on what you appreciate but also a time to share how you feel. In closing, don't let the crisis make bring you down this season. Enjoy it as best as you can while feeling comfortable in your own home. We hope you have clicked through and enjoyed shopping through these wonderful online stores.
Hello friends and followers! It's been quite an interesting year and we hope you are not letting the crisis hold you back from enjoying what you love the most. Here are buzzbetter, we highly enjoy spreading the love for small businesses throughout the world. For the most part, we list handmade shops from the U.S. but we never wish to discriminate and always happy to share more. After all, we're in this together and today, we would like to feature some of the best small shops of July 2020. Love clay flowers - clay flowers for weddingsLoveClay Flowers by Olga Mironova reached out to us at the beginning of the month to share her beautiful polymer clay, floral designs. Each piece is made petal by petal and since they are made of clay, they are long lasting keepsakes. While her specialty is making bridal bouquets, she can also create a beautiful floral arrangements for your home. Mironova will help you design your very own special bouquet with great love and care. She highly believes in quality, affordable arrangements and provides great customer service. See floral examples below. Hand Lettering by LauraSome days we just need a little motivation to get us going. Whether it's an auto-message from an app or a piece of art hanging on the wall. Hand Lettering by Laura has just the right graphic, typography designs on coffee cups, wall hangings, greeting cards and more. We all know that it can be hard to readjust your schedule during this crisis and as a mother, you likely need a whole lot of fuel. "Mom Fuel" is just the right mug for you. Achillea design co. - wooden decor and jewelryAchillea Design Co. has an amazing collection of wooden decor and jewelry to get a conversation started. This lovely home goods store was established in the mountains of Colorado by Whitney Wood. Wood was formally trained in fine art at the Kansas City Art Institute and she started designing amazing wooden pieces in 2019 and has never looked back. Each product is beautifully hand-crafted in her Colorado studio and all made for whimsical homes and wardrobes to make you look twice. At buzzbetter, we just admire the craftwork of her wooden designs and could see every piece as a cherished gift. See lovely designs below. Gilded gravel - jewelry and household decorGilded Gravel concrete jewelry and household decor caught our eye immediately while searching for small shops on instagram. This shop was created by Alicia Berdan based in Dallas, Texas. We're always big fans of minimalist, sleek design and while we very much love the beautiful weather of California, we were born and raised in Texas and just love the stylish Texas pendant necklace. Similarly, we can't deny having a soft spot for Gilded Gravel's honeycomb earrings. Altogether, Berdan's jewelry designs are lovely and add some flavor to any type of outfit. Her household products are also divine and perfect gifts for family and friends. One of a kind, concrete dishes that are perfect to store Gilded Gravel jewelry!
We don't know about you but it feels as if time is flying by much faster than usual. It is amazing to think that a whole month has gone by. We still haven't been able to catch up or do everything that we want to do but in the meantime, we are thrilled to share some shops that have gained such momentum throughout the month. All of which have special products that one would truly love. Kelsey Haver Designs - lover of typographyPresenting pretty Kelsey Haver Designs graphic designs and creative typography. Kelsey Haver's style makes us want to hop out of bed and work, work, work. At buzzbetter, we're in awe by each greeting card, magnet and prints. Haver is a big believer in great design and ideas that can give you more confidence than ever. All of her prints are created to inspire and we just love every one of them! Don't you feel the same? How about surprising someone with one of these cards during this unfortunate time. You will surely make someone smile. made thru Love - handmade polymer clay earringsMade thru Love fabulous polymer clay earrings - some beautifully made with 18 carat gold plated-nickel and perfect for your bridesmaids! We're always fans of a the sleek and stylish look and every one of Made Thru earrings is just that. Your family and friends will certainly ask where you got these and if you’re looking for festive design, this shop has many beautiful pieces to choose from! While we're still social distancing and doing our best to run our businesses, we are happy to say that overall, the month of May was pretty great. Our instagram engagement was much stronger and there are a few handmade shops we would like thank for this. Oak and Co. - Color Happy Wood DecorOak and Co. is based out of Molalla, Oregon carrying darling wooden designs made by Ali Prince. Prince hand cuts every piece and uses beautiful pastel paints for each design. We're in love with each and every one of them. Check out her latest summer collection including ice cream cones, rainbows, and daisy flowers. They are all just so adorable! Desert Costal Studios - Mixed Media Cork ArtIf you're anything like us, you likely have a large collection of wine corks lying around your home; however, we have never considered what to do with them. Erin Denton of Desert Coastal Studios and based out of Peoria, Arizona came up with the great idea to up-cycle wine corks by creating beautiful home decor. Everyone can use a coaster and we all know cork doesn't stick to the bottom of your glass. These are just perfect. And the beautiful U.S. and state designs are so awesome! These creations would look great in any type of home. |
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