Magic Orange Candle

Today's weather may have been very gloomy, but this little orange oil candle certainly has brightened my mood with its sunshiney glow! ^.^ These are very easy to make. Just cut an orange in half, and carefully cut/scoop the flesh, making sure to leave the pith (middle stem) intact. Fill with any kind of cooking oil (I used olive) to just below the top of the pith. Dip the pith under the oil to coat the tip, and then light. It took me 20-30 seconds to get the pith to light, so be patient. Depending on the size of the orange, they will remain lit for quite a while. I used tiny clementines, which burned for over 3 hours. If you wish, you can scoop out the other half and cut a hole in the top for a glowing orb effect. These would be a great to incorporate into a winter solstice celebration! Or imagine a whole bunch of them as a centerpiece for a special dinner. So simple, yet so cozy.

Squishy Pumpkins!

Oliver and I made squishy pumpkins this morning, and I just had to share since it's so easy and fun! (Please excuse his dirty face... I made a pumpkin spice latte this morning, and he convinced me to share.)

Using a permanent marker, draw a pumpkin on a plastic baggie (preferably a heavy-duty storage or freezer kind). Older kids can draw their own silly or scary faces. Squirt in some shaving cream, and add in a few drops of red and yellow food coloring. Try to get out as much air of the bag as possible, seal, and then as added precaution, use tape along the top.

And then.... SQUISH!!!!

And SQUISH some more!!!

Until the squishy pumpkin 'magically' turns orange! ^.^

Thank you Naturally Wise for sharing this fun idea on your FB page!

Lucky Pennies!

Here are the lucky winners of our Penny Sale giveaway! I had oodles of fun, and truly enjoyed reading all the comments. Thank you so much for participating, as well as for supporting my little shop, and other WAHMs. <3

If you are a winner, please email me at EnchantedDandelions@gmail.com for furthur details. Also, please, please, PLEASE mention your name and which prize(s) you won in the subject line to make things a little less confusing/chaotic. Thanks, and congrats!

1. Organic Broccoli Toy - #12 Ebony Black
2. Paper Star Lantern - #4 Katie Anderson Zuko
3. Baby Sampler Set - #19 Rachel Dawson
4. Frog Headache Helper - #11 Lacey Pyle Mason
5. Custom Bow - #17 Monica Williams-Brown
6. Bar of Soap - #7 Miranda Steward Hunter
7. Baby Leg Warmers - #23 Louise Casey
8. Crochet Bird Rattle -#29 Lisa Rivenbark-Hodson
9. Beaded Stitch Markers - #22 Krystyl Olson
10. Wipe-N-Go Placemat - #6 Stacy Hahn Blake
11. Wool Dryer Balls - #35 Carla S DeMarco
12. Enchanted Dandelions Surprise Box - #26 Carla Corley

As a special thank you for all participants, use coupon code "LUCKYPENNY" to receive 10% off your next order from Enchanted Dandelions (valid until August 6th).

Also, Crunchy Family Rising is offering 25% off orders in her shop using coupon code DANDELION (valid until August 6th).

If you're not a fan already, please consider 'liking' Enchanted Dandelions on Facebook. It's the easiest way to keep up with the latest products, sales, giveaways and more. Tonight being an exception, I promise I don't post too much.. just a few times a week, so go ahead and click like! ^.^

Homemade chocolate syrup!

I just made a big pot of chocolate syrup, and now the house smells *so* yummy!! ^.^

• 1 + 1/4 cup water
• 1 + 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the first three ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 1 minute. (Note: pay attention to avoid a chocolately bubbly mess. Reduce heat and stir constantly to prevent boil-over.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

I let it cool, and then store in the fridge in a clean ketchup squeeze bottle. Great for making a quick glass of chocolate milk for the Sprouts, or a yummy coffee drink for me! This can also be drizzled over ice cream, brownies, fresh fruit, etc. Woot for ooey, gooey chocolatey goodness, and double woot for being HFCS-free, unlike bought chocolate syrup! ^.^

* use any brand of cocoa powder except Nestle's Tollhouse, please.

Hello again!

Soooo, I thought I would start blogging again! This past year has honestly been the hardest of my life. I made the decision to end my almost six year marriage for several different (yet all upsetting) reasons. It put me (and the Sprouts) in an less-than-ideal situation, but in the long run, it was for the best for all involved. I feel like I am a much better person... so much stronger than I ever thought I could ever be. I have been, and am continuing, to discovery myself- who I truly am, and it's been an amazing journey, even if it started under horrible circumstances.

We have been living with my mom since February of last year. While I'm eternally grateful for her opening her house to us, it's been rough. Definitely not enough room- the Sprouts and I all share a teeny bedroom and a single bed. My sewing and business stuff is crammed into every possible nook and cranny, making running my Etsy shop hard to do. HOWEVER, I just signed a lease on an amazing house with plenty of space, which we'll be moving into in 9 days (!!!).

My last post here on this blog was titled In a Fog. But lately, it's been a bit more sunny!

In a fog...

I know I haven't posted in over a month. The Bad Situation I have vaguely referred to in previous posts have spiraled out of control. We're currently living at my mom's house, camping out in her living room. So much has gone on, and so much is still happening. I feel like we're stuck in a fog right now, because I can't see any way out. Everyone tells me it'll be okay, and I know it will, but just hard to focus on that promised better future, or anything else for that matter, right now. :-/

Inexpensive & Easy Thank You Notes

I almost feel silly blogging about these little thank you notes since they so simple, but thought I would share what works for me and my Etsy shop.

First, start with 4x6 scrapbooking paper. (You can use larger sheets, but this size makes it so convenient since there is no measuring- just one fold, one cut and you're done.) I purchase my paper on Etsy as I love supporting other shops. You may want to pick a specific color/theme to match your shop's ambiance, or if you sell a wide range of products, get a variety to suit the individual customer and their order (e.g. I'll send a funky thank you note with funky Owie Bags, a pink & chic note with pink & chic wipes, etc.)

Next, fold each one in half, hot dog style (channeling my kindergarten art teacher here *grin*). Eyeball what would be the middle, and cut in half, like so:

These cards are just large enough so they don't get lost in the package, but small enough where you aren't wasting paper. I can either write a simple "Thank you! ~ April", or squeeze in a personalized note or memo if wanted/needed. Eventually, I would like to get a custom stamp so I can put my logo on the inside top. Another idea would be to get a "Thanks" stamp (which are widely available) to do on the outside, assuming you are using a lighter color paper.

I bought my last batch from BethMarie10, and the resulting thank you notes only cost 4.5 cents each. That's a small price to pay to be able to give my customers the warm & fuzzies about both my shop and buying handmade in general. <3