Hellloooo from Chicagoland! We are on the other side of Labor Day and fall feels official.

Our weekend getaway to Springfield was exactly what the doctor ordered and we are back and in full swing.

Today I have some great news! Yesterday I was featured in my first Etsy treasury by user PersonalOasis! She chose to include my love bird lavender sachet trio which sold earlier in the day. The same customer also picked up my cedar sachet set and my eco flower lavender set. Needless to say, yesterday was busy with wrapping everything up in tissue with ribbons and thank you tags.

Speaking of packing and shipping, Screamin Monkey Circus is beginning to really live up to its name. The past week has been an absolute circus at home. Shortly after selling the beautiful green hollow book safe, Q had a request from a groom for 5 hollow book safes for his groomsmen!! I thought, what a GREAT idea! Fortunately we had made a few visits to the resale shops and a lovely antique book store in Springfield so there was plenty of book stock at home. Honestly though, all this book-safe-making equates to giant-mess-in-the-living-room-making. In an attempt to acknowledge the seemingly infinite scraps of paper everywhere, Q did pull out the vacuum earlier in the week. It has stood in silence like an island in a sea of paper chaos. All in the name of beautiful handmade crafts though, right?! Right! Thank god we are both in this together :p

So anyway! Keep a look out for amazing new hollow book safes from Screamin Monkey Circus coming soon. Q finished one last night that really takes the cake. He's also listed some great acrylic paintings he's done. People who are weenies about having bright colors in their home need not apply.


Quintessential Quirks has Owl and "C"edar sachets relisted along with the eco flower lavender set and designs on the horizon for the Christmas rush. I'm also toying with the idea of including cloves in my cedar sachets. Beta testing will be taking place in the upcoming week. I will be sure to report back.... And I promise I haven't forgotten about the Apple Pie Pop recipe! I am aiming to type that up very soon!

So that is about it from us. This weekend is going to be crazy. Renegade Craft Fair - Chicago is taking place tomorrow and we are very excited to be going to check it out. We also have the annual British Car Festival on Sunday.

So until next time... take care and have a great Friday!

SQ

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back with an announcement!

This weekend Screamin Monkey Circus (operated by Q) opened it's doors on Etsy! While at the All Night Flea Market a few weeks ago, Q rolled out a few of his handmade / handcrafted items and had some success selling to the crowds. SMC already has 2 items listed and will be rolling out various bottle cap crafts, branding irons (for the BBQ fanatic in your life), hollow book safes, concrete light bulbs, and original screen printed designs. All in all, it is pretty much a store that totally encompasses all of Q's interests: beer, bbq, hiding stuff, tricking you, and art. Good luck on the new venture Q!

In Quintessential Quirk news, yesterday was a productive day as a new dragonfly prototype came into existance as a potential thank you gift for donors to my boss's new foundation. The foundation aims to encourage college students to become involved. Today I gifted the prototype to my boss who is retiring after about 30 years in "the business" of Student Activities along with some felt fortune cookies with best wishes inside. So fun to make! In the future, the dragonfly design may be an exclusive M.E.R.I. Foundation item.

The recent return of cool tempuratures to the Chicagoland area has brought a return of baked goods to the Quirk homestead. While Q is definitely the cook in our home, I enjoy upholding the baking standards. Yesterday evening (with Da Bears football game on in the background) I got to work on my most recent fascination: Apple Pie on a Stick. It combines two of my favorite things ever... apple pie and stuff on a stick (everything from ice cream to corn dogs to cookies and of course fudgecicles). Despite not having a recipe to work from, I had great success in this endeavor. I promise to post the recipe soon!

Until next time!

SQ