Sweet Escapes - PetitPlat

Hello all!

Another Monday, another week full of utterly shocking amounts of reading and classwork. Oh college, how I forgot how it worked while I was away this summer! Aside from reading for classes every moment I have (even on buses, and I used to get motion sickness doing that) I have finally found a moment of peace to introduce you all to one of my many favorite fake food jewelry shops: PetitPlat.

Who knew that by simply typing the word "cupcake" into Etsy's search engine, one could find dozens upon dozens of cupcake earrings, necklaces, rings, pins etc. So I thought to myself, I wonder if you type in other foods if you find other food jewelry?

My friends: we hit the jackpot, and this shop is just the beginning of my obsessions.

If you have not guessed it, I want almost everything in this shop. Unfortunately, I feel I must warn any of you who share this obsession with me - these are pricey. The seller is from France and the prices are in Euros (which means almost twice as much in USD). Although I'll admit, If I was not a college student who constantly feels like she is getting ripped off one way or another, I would buy out her entire shop.

On another note, her photography skills (if it's her taking the photos) is phenomenal. I would love to get some pointers from her, since she can apparently make her fake food look more appetizing than my real food. Those little cookie earrings look better than any cookie I've made in real life. Maybe I should just start working in clay instead of with dough (just kidding!).

I am just so impressed with the realistic features of her work. I buy a lot of my food jewelry from Claires (since its not overseas and I don't have to pay the Euro price) and it's all very cute, but this is way more impressive. The textures make it look just so....well, yummy.

This has been this week's Sweet Escape! I hope I've inspired you to go and venture out and find some quirky food jewelry of your own! I'm telling you; it's quite a conversation starter. I hope to go shopping (finally!) for baking supplies this weekend so hopefully recipes will resume shortly. I appreciate you all bearing with me during the hectic time that has been re-adjusting to college. :) 

Sweet Escapes - Fun Finds for the Kiddies

Hello all!

As I sit here stranded in my college apartment from extreme flooding courtesy of Hurricane Irene, I reminisce on how, when I was little, I entertained myself with so many things that did not require electricity. I was lucky enough not to lose power during this, but family and friends of mine did and I could only think "what would I do with myself if I couldn't get on Pinterest or browse my favorite blogs?"

How sad is that?

But if I was a kid, well I could be roaming through a jungle or playing "the floor is lava" and jumping from couch to couch or pretending to be a famous chef in my play kitchen; which got me thinking... this week's sweet escape could be about play food!

And where else to look for the neatest and cutest in fake food but - Etsy!

Felt Play Food (well for me anyway) is a relatively new phenomenon that I think is a fantastic idea. No bad chemicals from the plastic, and they are soft so even little toddlers can play with them. Customization is a fabulous perk as well, and the DIY patterns make the toys fun as a craft to do with your tykes as well.

Felt Cookbook and Bakery DIY Pattern Set - $3.99 Sweetie Pie Bakery

Here's a DIY that would be so entertaining on a rainy day with your little wannabe baker. For $3.99 you receive an e-book pdf full of patterns to create these adorable little bakery items and recipes to fill the cookbook pattern. It lists supplies needed as well as patterns for a felt cookbook, flour/sugar canisters, measuring cups and sweets like pie, brownies, cinnamon rolls and macaroons! 

Fun to make, and fun for hours of playtime after. These are the kind of projects that make me want to be a mom so I can do this with my own little kid....well, almost. Maybe not quite yet but you get the idea.

Assorted Felt Eco-Friendly Foods - $8 - $16 BugBitesPlayFood

These are a bit pricier than I would like to spend, but the seller states everything is made from eco-friendly, post-consumer products and are even machine washable. Not bad for a child's play toy (definitely could not machine wash plastic). 

I LOVE this one - pre assembled so no sewing required, but left in pieces for the child to put together themselves and create their own little apple pie! Precious.

Felt Sweets - Pre-made and DIY - Sweetemmajean $6 - $16

Again, I love the pre-made pieces (for those who who perhaps do not like the idea of sewing parts of toys) but the ability to assemble and customize left to the kiddie. These ice cream treats are perfect for summer or if your little boy or girl is just in the mood for faux frozen treats! Plus Black and White Cookies are just plain adorable. 

So next time you are looking for a fun arts&crafts idea to do with your child, think of creating your own toys! If your child is a bit older and with your supervision, you could even use this as a way to teach her how to sew. I know I loved embroidery at a young age, and arts and crafts can keep kids occupied for hours. 

This has been this week's Sweet Escape; keep an eye out for more fun foodie finds next Monday!

Sweet Escapes - Soapopotamus

Hello all!

So for this week's Sweet Escape, we will journey to my absolute favorite online marketplace - Etsy.

Now for those of you who are not familiar with it, Etsy is home to a ton of little internet "storefronts" for anything and everything handmade. I actually found out about Etsy when my boyfriend and I ran a little handmade clothing company out of his garage in high school. As you can imagine, we were thrifty entrepreneurs, and so we discovered Etsy because of its economical advantages. It's a great place for a start up if you're low on funds, or if you are looking for a market of buyers who love handmade items. The way Etsy works is that there is no fee to register or hold a storefront, just to list an item and a small percentage of your profit on each listed item. Definitely cheaper than owning a physical storefront, it is home to a veritable pantheon of fun, irresistible, handmade goodies.

Now, let's take a look at a shop who's entire inventory is on my wishlist: Soapopotamus.

Cinnamon Roll 6 Pack - $8

Yes, these are soap. Goat's milk soap to be exact, which I have heard fantastic reviews about. I have really sensitive skin, and almost all of her soaps are goat's milk, which is supposed to be uber gentle, and uber nourishing. What better way to wake up in the morning with a nice hot shower and a cinnamon bun?!

Carrot Cake Bar - $5.50

I am seriously stumped as to how she made the cake look so realistic. I'm always on the hunt for nice Fall scents (if I could I'd live in perpetual autumn) so I would love this to go with the cozy feeling of the chilly season.

Blueberry Muffin - $5.50

Not only is this the size of an actual muffin - she even made little blueberry soaps and suspended them throughout. So neat - and really shows dedication in my opinion on the part of the seller. Bravo.

Half Dozen Glazed Mini Donuts - $8

These little soaps are listed under her "Mini Food Guest Soap" section, and seriously, I would LOVE to be able to give a friend one of these to use while she stayed over. Just picture your friend's face when you pull out this little donut and go "and here's your soap!" Shocked and awed, I'm sure. And I would be perfectly content with smelling like a donut. (Maybe you think that's strange, and that's fine. No judgment. But I'm telling you, there are worse things to smell like than a glazed donut my friend.)

Rice Krispie Treat 4 Pack - $5

I saved the best for last. No joke - you have now just witnessed a rice krispie treat in soap form. You didn't think such an item existed did you? Well, now you can go and buy these and impress (or concern) your friends with your love for sweets. My roommates have already seen my fake food jewelry collection, so this probably wouldn't phase them much. Though, this would be in the shower, which might be a bit disconcerting. Or funny. Your pick. :D

Soapopatmus has plenty more where these came from. So if your prefer, oh, I don't know, chocolate cake, toast, or strawberry cupcakes, please make sure to check her out. I can't buy handmade all the time, but I like to do so when I can because you get your money's worth and your supporting small business; which, in my opinion, is always good. 

I hope you enjoyed this week's Sweet Escape! Be sure to check back next Monday for a look at more handmade treats for sweets - DIY Cakestand Designs.

Disclaimer: all photos featured are from the Soapopatmus Shop. Please link her and cite her shop appropriately if using these photos!