Some Sponsorship Love!

We're doing some advertising for our Trunk Show coming up in August, and we'd like to take a minute to say thanks to some people who are currently running our ads on their sites.

SpringCartDesigns is doing a free ad swap with us for an ad on her blog at thahotness.com. Go visit and take a look at her great site!

We've also got an ad running on Lillyella's blog. We've had Lillyella featured on our blog before as a Stellar Seller , and we love having a spot on her blog. Go have a look see, and a read (because her blog is awesome!)

Finally, thecreativemama has the cutest website and we've got an ad running over there! Please go give some love to these websites!

Summer Finds: Blueberry Pancakes

Berries are in bloom this summer, and we Owls are berry crazy! BlackCatMima had blueberries on the brain, and put together this SummerFinds list of blueberry pancakes. Click the links below the pics for the item listings on Etsy. Syrup, anyone?


Featuring:

moonlightbaker
andwabisabi
bugnikdesigns
MollycoddleSoap
clanne04
GingerbreadPrim

Burrowing Owls: Tags

Gift tags are a great finishing touch to that gift presentation you're going for, and with these tags selected by BlackCatMima, they're nice enough to keep! In fact, they're so nice you might want to keep one for yourself. Check below the picture for links to the individual items!


lemontreestudio
cgoriginals
wonderartstudio
Qdesigns
Kindershop
MommyHolly

burrowingowls 2009

Summer Finds - Strawberries!

Summer is the time for fresh fruit! And in my opinion, there's nothing quite as delicious as strawberries! By themselves, strawberry shortcake, parfait, icecream . . . I can never get enough! So of course I had to go in search of yummy strawberries on Etsy. Makes me wanna eat my computer screen . . .Featured Shops:
kategreiner
dennisanderson
melbangel
HerOwnFrequency
loobas
BubblesUpByBethieB

SummerFinds

Burrowing Owls - Owl Keychains!

Everybody needs keychains. And everybody likes owls. Owls? Keychains? Oh yeah! These are only a few examples of all the wonderful owl keychains on Etsy. Enjoy them!

Featured shops:
LaCoque
leatherprince
sweetirie
HibouCard
VyanMica
ZozoCards

Owls find Harry Potter!

Since I'm a geek and I love me some Harry Potter, I'm making some cute posts all about Harry, his friends, and Hogwarts! :) This Owlfinds features some of our favorite Hogwarts students.

If you haven't seen Half Blood Prince, gooooo.....stop reading and gooooo now! Enjoy!

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Congrats July Challenge Winner(s!)

Our first cross team challenge was a success! We're proud to annouce that the winner was Lolos from the Spanglish team for her awesome Frida Kahlo sculpture.

Second place belongs to SquareJane from the Owls for her Frida Kahlo Art doll . Close runners up were BululuStudio from Etsy Spanglish and Suenosdejmi (who is a member of both teams).

If you scroll down the blog, you can see the original poll in the left hand column near the bottom of the blog.

You can still see and purchase most of the entries by searching Frida challenge on Etsy. Thanks to participating members from the Owls and the Spanglish teams, and also to everyone who voted. We couldn't do it without you!

Owl Spotlight: CocoStIves

Face it – it's summer. When summer begins we, especially those of the female persuasion, wage the battle of the bulge.

I have to admit that I, too, am dieting. Happy to report I have lost nine pounds in three weeks. The trouble is, I love food. Real food; low calorie frozen dinners and Butter Buds – not so much. I have a passion for cooking and decided at diet outset I am going to eat real food and enjoy this lower calorie lifestyle or it just will not work.

I have no other choice. I made my first béchamel sauce at 14; sold bread, pies, and pastries my best friend and I baked during the holidays while in high school. My first job out of J school (that’s journalism school) was as the assistant food editor of the Boston Herald American (I replaced Gwen Ifill!). I’ve cooked for probably the best-known caterer in Boston – Rebecca’s; I’ve worked as a personal chef and am a Food Network junkie – my cooking style striving to be that of Tyler Florence. (His banana pudding is to die for – but includes eight egg yolks; whole milk; bourbon; and banana liqueur!)

So, it is no wonder once I hit 40 (and let that be a warning to those younger) the pounds got easier to put on and harder to take off.

I’ve picked up some recipes here and there that are not only low calorie, but also fit for family, friends, and our thin and slim fellow owlies. One is low carbohydrate for those of you who follow that scheme. I am sure I do not need to remind us that alcohol has no nutritional value. On the other hand, sometimes a tall, cool drink is welcome on a hot summer night. So, I have included my personal diet cocktail. Believe me, one of them is all I need on a Saturday night! Fire up the grill or the grill pan and get ready for some good eating. Here are two menus to try:


Menu 1 ~ LOW FAT

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pineapple
Tomato-Parsely Couscous

~

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs ~ serves 4

½ cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray

Combine yogurt through pepper in a small bowl and stir with a whisk. Pour into a heavy-duty zip lock bag. Add chicken; seal bag, and toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator one to two hours (but no longer than 24 hours), turning bag periodically.

(If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes before grilling). Prepare grill or heat grill pan. Thread chicken onto four or eight skewers, depending on the length of the skewer. Spray grill or grill pan liberally with cooking spray. Grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side, turning once for a total of 11 minutes or until done.

CAL: 209; FAT:2.3 g (sat 0.6 g); PRO: 40.7 g; CARB: 3.4 g; FIB: 0.2 g; CHOL: 99 mg; SOD: 445 mg;

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pineapple ~ serves 4

1 peeled and cored pineapple OR 8 canned pineapple rings in their own juice
1 ½ Tbsp. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
Cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Cut pineapple into 8 slices. Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, and adobo sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Blot excess moisture from each pineapple slice with paper towels. Brush one side of each slice with brown sugar mixture.

Place pineapple slices, brushed sides down, on grill or grill pan sprayed with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes or until browned; brush with remaining brown sugar mixture, turn, and grill 3 minutes.

CAL: 87; FAT: 0.2 g (sat fat 0 g); PRO: 0.6 g; CARB: 22.7 g; FIB 2 g; CHOL: 0; SOD 45 mg;

Tomato-Parsely Couscous ~ serves 4

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water and ¼ tsp. salt to boil. Stir in ¾ c. dry couscous; cover. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. In the meantime; chop ¼ c. parsley and chop two plum tomatoes. Fluff couscous with a fork and spoon into a serving bowl. Stir in tomato and parsley.

CAL: 130; FAT: 1 g (sat fat 0); PRO: 5 g; CARB: 28 g; FIB: 2 g; CHOL: 0 mg

Menu 2: Low Carbohydrate

Salmon is high in fat but it is the omega-3/omega-6 rich fat that is not saturated like other fats from animal protein.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce
Lemon Grilled Asparagus


Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce

1 small lemon
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. stone-ground (country-style) Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 clove minced garlic
4 (5 oz.) salmon fillets
salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Grate ¼ teaspoon rind from the lemon. Squeeze lemon to measure 1 ½ teaspoons juice; reserve remaining lemon for another use. Combine grated lemon rind, lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, parsley, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and stir with a whisk. Set aside.

Season fish with salt and pepper. Place fish on grill rack or grill pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve each fillet with one tablespoon of sauce.

CAL: 300; FAT: 19 g. (sat fat 4 g); PRO: 29 g; CARB: 2 g; FIB: 0; CHOL: 88 mg


Grilled Lemon Asparagus

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or a sprinkle of dried thyme
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
pepper
cooking spray

Prepare grill or heat grill pan.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, and pepper to taste in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Coat asparagus with cooking spray. Grill 4 minutes or to desired tenderness. Add grilled asparagus to lemon mixture and toss to coat.

CAL: 37; FAT 2.7 g (sat 0.4); PRO: 1.4 g; CARB: 3.1 g; FIB 1.2 g; CHOL: 0

~

Coco’s Fizzy Lemon Highball

1 to 2 packets Splenda or sugar substitute of choice
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
2 oz. Vodka
seltzer water
ice

Mix sugar substitute with lemon juice in a tall glass. Add vodka and ice. Fill with seltzer. Enjoy!

CAL: 140; FAT: 0; PRO: 0; CARB: 3; FIB: 0; CHOL: 0

Frida Kahlo Challenge!

For our creative challenge this month, we decided to do something a little different. We invited the Spanglish team to create with us, and set out to pay tribute to Frida Kahlo.

The entries are below. You can pause this slideshow using the buttons in the bottom right corner of the slideshow (which show up after you hover there!) Vote using the poll on the left.

The voting for this challenge will last for one week, ending on the 13th around 9 pm Eastern time.

You can vote for more than one entry, so be sure to vote for your favorites! You can see all the entries on Etsy by searching for 'frida challenge' or by clicking on team members names below.


Spanglish Team: lolos, tumbleweedstudios, bululustudio, piruli, chicboutiquejewelry*
Etsy Owls: hollystott, katscozykrafts, taw0106 , lalala08 , squarejane, suenosdejmi*
*are members of both teams

Happy Birthday Frida! We love you!

Owl Spotlight: LucidMoonStudio

This is my first post, and I wasn't quite sure what I should blog about, but then I decided I would write about my dog, Cooper. Cooper is a Weimaraner, and he is 9 months old. He is such a good dog, so I decided he deserved some really good treats. I found a recipe in Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way by Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye, the owners of the Three Dog Bakery (Cooper's favorite store, by the way!).

You can check out the book and recipes on Amazon here. I decided to make Belly Rub Brownies because what dog wouldn't want these?! Here is the recipe:

Belly Rub Brownies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons carob powder (I bought
mine at the health food store)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup canola oil (I didn't
have any, so I used vegetable oil instead)

3/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with nonstick vegetable spray. In a
large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and carob powder. In a
smaller bowl, whisk honey and oil together. Add eggs one at a time,
whisking after each. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine
well. Spread the batter into the baking dish. Bake the brownies for
20-25 minutes or until set. Let cool to room temperature, then cut
into squares.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or wrap
and freeze for up to 2 months.

Wet and dry ingredients

Ready for the oven! I tasted the batter, while
Cooper got to lick the spoon, and we both agreed it was yummy even
before baking!

Ready to eat!

Are those for me? Really? Is this a
joke??

I will do ANYTHING you
want...ANYTHING!!

Can I has just one more?
PLEASE!!

As you can see, Cooper really enjoyed his treats! I have to say, he never performs his tricks as well as when I am holding one of these brownies! If you have a dog, I hope you try
these yummy treats, and if you don't, surely there is a neighbor with a dog who would love these! Enjoy!!

Owls take on Facebook!

Facebook has long since been the hangout for college and high school students, but now that's changing! With the event of Fan Pages (and actually, before that!), people have been using Facebook in a whole new way. With Fan pages, you can link people to your Etsy shop (or whatever!) and share photos, have contests, and so much more! Plus it comes automatically with the popularity of Facebook!

The above shown Fan page belongs to me, and I've just started it (after caving in to peer pressure, which is how I ended up on Facebook to start with!). However, there's a bunch of Owls on Facebook, and fan pages are sprouting up everywhere!

So, check us out! Yep yep!

cagedbirdsings
Etsy Owls!
luckytwentyone
squarejane
suenosdejmi
tabmade
Wendydoescrochet

Owls Spotlight: AlphabetDiva

I love to take pictures, and I always have, so it only made sense to me to start a business taking photos. I have been focusing on taking photos of everyday items that look like letters of the alphabet. Now that is not as easy as it sounds, I mean go out and find the letter G, and then find one in nature, sports and architecture! So it takes a keen eye to find these letter photographs. I started out like most, finding the easy letters, the B’s and L’s using windows etc. and slowing sharpening my focus to find the harder letters, and items not normally scrutinized , like a baseball glove and a garden gate.


Now I see letters everywhere I look! I am always taking pictures, and have actually had people come up to me and ask me why I am taking pictures of them, and I have to explain that I am taking pictures of the basketball court floor, (weird I know) . Some others have asked if I was from the Health Department (taking close ups of the water fountain at my child’s school), or maybe I am from the bank because I am outside taking a picture of their garage door or the shutters on their house!

Recently my girls have started whining every time I pull the car over to take a picture of a telephone pole or tree knot, “Mom, please”, I hear from the backseat, “ I hate stopping all the time” the exclaim! Hey is it my fault that it takes twice as long to get anywhere these days? Well yes I guess it is, but I can’t seem to break my LETTER PHOTO ADDICTION!