170 Years of Unbridled Passion~The Women of The Victorian Heart Shoppe

Photo and article can be viewed in full at Victoriana On-line Magazine

The Victorian Heart Shoppe is a virtual town square that offers a number of on line stores, including one dear to me, Merry Treasure Shopper ~ my little on-line busines.

This wonderful on-line Victorian Town Square has been featured in an article that has been published in Victoriana Magazine's March issue. Many congratulations to the creators of The Victorian Heart Shoppe, the lovely Victoria Laurian Otto and her technical savy husband Jeff, for envisioning and creating such a lovely place to set up business! I am a new member that has only joined just over a month ago and I guess my timing was perfect. I am thrilled to know that their dedication to their business, advertisers and customers will bring new opportunities for everyone. I hope you can take a few moments and visit this lovely on-line virtual town square and see what treasures await you!

PS ~ Please visit me on Fifth Avenue and enjoy!

Happy Everything!

Easter Graphic Comments

Calling All Beach Mamas and Daddys Too!!!

Okay you beach going families this is the perfect contest for you. You could have a chance to win

The BeachPack.

This clever and useful bag was invented by Terry Donze, a mom who grew tired and frustrated with how difficult it was to lug all of her children’s gear to and from the beach. Terry designed this backpack-style bag to be easy to pack as well as large enough to organize towels, sunscreen, reading materials, snacks, bottled water, a cellphone, and all the other beach essentials. The BeachPack was carefully designed to stay open and upright when placed on the ground. Another great feature are the many interior and exterior pockets to organize everything you need. In order to enter this great contest, you just need to visit the Mamanista Blog http://mamanista.com/2008/03/beach-pack-organizer-for-trips-to-the-pool-and-beach.html#comments by12:59 EST on March 28, 2008 and leave a comment about what you like best about this amazing bag. I just entered this great contest too. Good Luck and may you have many beach days ahead!

Happy Spring!

It is so nice to welcome Spring. I live in New England and it has been a cold and wet winter but I really can't complain considering what some people are going through right now with all the crazy weather patterns. Hopefully, soon we will all be basking in the warm rays of the sun and enjoying all the outdoor activities. I am actually looking forward to some outdoor spring cleaning and of course decorating. We have to start getting the backyard ready for those long summer nights. Ahhhh. Good Times!!!

As I think about Springtime, it makes me think about new beginnings, fresh starts, birth and life. Last year in the later part of spring heading into summer my older son, then 6yrs old, was delighted to discover a birds nest with 3 robins eggs inside. The nest was carefully and lovingly built and hidden under the stairs of our deck heading towards the pool. We were so careful not to touch it or disturb the nest in any way. Daily we could go and take a peak to check on the eggs. Every time we did, the mama and daddy birds, kept a watchful eye on us but they still let us gently approach and enjoy their precious little eggs. I guess they new we would be careful as we all eagerly awaited them to hatch. It was such a beautiful and amazing thing to witness. One night I was having a party at the house but my son told me we had to go and check on the eggs, I am so glad I listened to him and joined in his enthusiasm. Two of those beautiful blue-green eggs had hatched. There was one more egg that just needed a little more time and the other newly hatched baby birds provided it with love and warmth. The next morning we were eager to see another miracle and we did, and then there were three. I am happy to say, we took some photos of this sweet miracle and I can now share them with you. My son and my husband and I learned so much from being able to see something like this up so close. It was truly a gift to witness the miracle of life. I hope seeing these photos brings a smile to your face, happiness in your heart and a reminder how beautiful life really is, and to savour all the miracles!!!

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

I was talking with my seven year old son as I was helping him pull his clothes for tomorrow and I told him that he had to wear green in honor of St. Patrick's Day. He said ok mom, and without hesitating he picked his Boston Celtics shirt to wear. But as we were sitting in his room going through his closet it dawned on me...does he really understand this holiday or is he just going along with what I tell him? He knows it is a celebration but does he really know why? Better yet, do I really understand this holiday? Well, I decided to look into this a bit further and I gathered some information. Here is the simple information I shared with my son and what I decided this day means to me.

The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was held back around 1737. Primarily this was celebrated by those of Irish descent but over time it was celebrated by many people of all nationalities. Today, we can go into the local stores and see cakes shaped like shamrocks and we see many decorations adorned with rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold. To me, this represents dreams, hard work and results. Many of the early descendents risked so much to come here. They worked very hard and found happiness and built a new life for themselves. Their faith, hard work and success are all worth celebrating! They have added so much to all the wonderful things we enjoy today.

In Ireland St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday. Patrick was a young boy who had been taken from his home and forced into slavery in Ireland. He wrote about hearing God speak to him and he was able to escape to Britain. He had another vision from God and Patrick eventually went back to Ireland in the hopes of converting the people there to Christianity. In many documentations, it is believed that he passed away on March 17 461 AD. In Ireland, many of the businesses other than pubs and restaurants are shut down. Many of the people attend mass on this Holy Day in Ireland.

Here in America, St. Patrick's Day (St. Paddy's Day) is not a national holiday. Yet, in many areas you will find big parades and people from all nationalities sporting their green, eating their corned beef and cabbage boiled dinners, and drinking green beer and other popular Irish drinks. It is truly a day of celebration for many.

Whether you celebrate this day because it is a tradition passed down to you, or because you are proud of your Irish heritage or because you just enjoy a good party, I wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day, much luck in all that you do, strength to work hard, a rainbow to dream upon, a pot of gold as your reward and many blessings throughout your life!!! 777 Luck of The Irish to you All!!!777

The Ultimate Blog Party 2008 has started!!!

Okay everyone, The Ultimate Blog Party 2008 has started!!! Well, it actually started March 7th and it will continue on through March 14th~so hurry on over and check it out. Just think of it as making a Grand Appearance~Better Late Than Never. I know you are anxious to go over and check it out...okay, go ahead. Make sure to visit their prize page and Have Fun!!!

For those of you that want to hear a little bit more, from what I hear and have been reading, The Ultimate Blog Party is "THE" place to be. Last year they had over 1,000 mom bloggers partying together all over the world. For those of you that blog, this party offers a great opportunity to introduce you and your blog to a bunch of new people. For all of you who love reading other's blogs, this will give you an opportunity to find new and exciting blogs to add to your read list. There really is something for everyone. Hope to see you at the party!

Some of my friends are coming over tomorrow for lunch. I am going to take them on a virtual tour and visit some of the great blogs out there partying. There are so many great blog-sites, and having the opportunity to view so many together in one place and party together is wonderful. Maybe I should tell my friends to bring their own laptops...Oh, I don't mind sharing. Well, have fun,I know we will. I hope you meet many new friends!!! Hmmm....now to plan what to serve for lunch tomorrow???

Watkins Spring Giveaway - Chrys An The Moms Blog

I am so excited, I just found this fantastic Blog run by Eleisia from Chrys An The Moms/In The Kitchen Blog. She is an independent Watkins Product Associate and she is running a contest to celebrate the new look of her blog and also the upcoming arrival of Spring. You can vist her blog at http://chrysanthemoms.com/inthekitchen/?p=815 and see all the details about how to enter. I just entered to win just by sharing this opportunity with you.

The winner of this contest will receive a cute planter full of products. As stated in Eleisia's Blog, the assortment includes:Aloe and Green Tea Shea ButterPeppermint Foot CreamPeppermint Room FreshenerShredsoap Linen SprayVanilla Extract (2 fl. oz. bottle)Clear Vanilla Extract (2 fl. oz. bottle)Hazelnut Extract (2 fl. oz. bottle)Cinnamon (6 oz. tin)Sesame and Garlic Snack and Dip SeasoningOregano (tin)Ginger (tin)Paprika (tin)Soup and Vegetable Seasoning (jar)
The value of the assortment is $80.87! All are full-sized products, not samples. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

The winner will be chosen at the end of the day on March 20th Eleisia will post the winner on her blog on March 21st! Good Luck to you all!

Cinnamon Hollow Treasure Hunt

I have a great on-line shopping directory and traffic exchange site for you to visit. It is called The Cinnamon Hollow Traffic Exchange. This network features many Wahm (Work at home mom) owned businesses and it offers them a free way to advertise and promote their site. I joined and I am already seeing the benefits.

So, come on over an visit the Cinnamon Hollow Traffic Exchange today and check out their Treasure Hunt Contest~ Ahhhgg Matey's ~ Don't you just love a good treasure hunt?

Enjoy!!!

Posted on my website February 29, 2008 ~ Welcome to Merry Treasure Shopper's First Post!

From my website...going to start a blog... will need technical help to get it up and running properly.

Today is February 29, 2008 ~ It's Leap Year and speaking about taking leaps, I have decided to start a blog. So, in honor of February 29th Leap Year ~ here goes...

I just added this section...Lainy's Blog ~ Travels of a Merry Treasure Shopper to my site. I am going to contact Jen from Pear Street Studios http://www.pearstreetstudios.com/ and talk to her about making some improvements and additions so you can further enjoy your shopping experience. Jen is a graphic designer and she designed the lovely Beautiful Shops web site so I am sure that she can help me or lead me in the right direction with this project. you can see her work for yourself just by visiting http://www.beautifulshops.com/ .

I am a member of Beautiful Shops and it is one of my favorite on-line shopping sites. Shopping is really one of my favorite sports, hobbies, passions, activities...etc. Call it what you want , but I just really love shopping. I love browsing around and then finding those special treasures. It is so nice to get a bargain on an item I have been watching or to find that perfect gift for a friend. I do believe the things we buy and the way we decorate gives others a little glimpse into our lives. I am hoping my site gives you a little glimpse into my life.

So, I want to make sure that when you come and visit my site ~ http://www.merrytreasureshopper.com/ , that things flow easy and my site is user friendly. I am open to suggestions and love to hear your ideas. You can e-mail me at info@merrytreasureshopper.com and I look forward to hearing from you and learning from you too!

It has been just over a year ago that I opened this on-line business. Now, this year I really plan on making improvements and taking the time to develop this site into something very special. Something that I can share with all my wonderful customers, family and friends that come to visit it so often. Don't worry, you won't have to wait until the next leap year to read another post because I plan on putting a link here to a real blog within the next couple of months. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing my thoughts and experiences about shopping, decorating, enjoyng life, being thankful, the big things, the little things, and whatever else comes to mind on this journey!

Thank you and hope to share with you again soon.

Warm wishes,

Lainy