Gift Ideas Galore!

For those of you looking for some great gifts at great prices, here are some great ideas for you, all available in M Design Boutique.

 Click the photos to be taken to the section in M Design Boutique where you can find a selection of what you see in the image.

Please don't hesitate to email me with questions or special requests. Final shipping day is December 20, unless expedited shipping is arranged. Shop early for your best selection!

Wrist and Arm Warmers

Check out the latest madness at M Design Boutique! These are all for sale (more being added daily) in the "Accessories" section of M Design Boutique.

Just Listed 10/18/2011:

Knock Out One Gift Per Week! First stop: Mom!

Holidays are a crazy and hectic time to get things done...because everyone is doing the same thing. Running around shopping for Moms, Dads, sisters, brothers, in-laws, grandparents, friends, hosts and hostesses, even office mates, yoga teachers, favorite waitresses, teachers, post workers and so on. Of course, you never think to knock out these gifts a little bit at a time over the course of the previous months.

But this year could be different! This year you can lighten the load of last-minute (and face it, more meaningless) gift buying. This year, with just a little effort each week, you can reduce your stress at the end!

Start with Mom! The mother of your child, your mom, your friends who are moms...just use it as a theme to get a little list of who you can buy for RIGHT NOW!

As always, I encourage people to shop indie and handmade, if not also local! To help you figure out some good Mom gift ideas, I am posting some images of things I think lots of Moms would love that are available right in my own online shop!

Beeswax Taper Candles in the Beeswax Section

Drippy Beeswax Pillar also in the Beeswax Section

Fruit Salad Candle in the Looks Like Food Section

Canning Jar Gift Set in the Farmhouse Candles Section

Hand-spun Wool Cup Cozy in the Kitchen and Garden Section

Primitive Style Beeswax Tapers in the Beeswax Section

Feel free to contact me at info@mdesignboutique.com if you want something custom for the Moms in your life. I am happy to suggest gifts in any price range, and I welcome custom ideas. Happy Shopping!

New Collaboration Announcement: Hammer & Light Concept Collections

Over the past several months, I have been collaborating on a new product line and brand with one of my oldest friends and favorite designers Angi Quincy of Tiny Armour Jewelry.

It all started with a card-swap that we were intending to do with eachothers' business cards going out with orders leading up to the holidays. We figured this would help promote a group of shops that we love by exposing our own customers to some other great shops. When the other shop owners ended up bowing out of the swap for various reasons, Angi and I decided that since there was just the two of us, we should collaborate on a holiday gift to offer in both of our shops...and then over a whole lotta cross-country phone calls and a rush of inspirations, a brand formed.

Our first product debuts October 20, 2011.

Get on board now! Check out and follow our blog feed over at Hammer & Light's blog here.

Follow us on facebook here.

We will be announcing our new products and collections in both places, with all the details and magic behind them all.

We welcome you to Hammer & Light.

Just Got Back From The Big Easy!

Enough Said!

Eye Candy -- Just Pictures of the Recent Creations!

All of these items are available at M Design Boutique!

Photo Documented Cherry Preserves - How I Made It!

Last weekend I made Cherry Preserves (or Jam or something...I don't know the difference between them to be perfectly honest). This recipe yields 5 or 6 half pints or 3 pints. I did half pints in some cute jars with checkered country style lids that look pretty and modern, but with a call back to way back when. 

I am not going to give the recipe here (unless by popular demand), as this is meant to show how the process looks for those of you considering making your own fresh canned jam/preserves!

The apples are just here to look pretty. So, you won't need apples for this recipe. I pitted all of these and it took a good long time, made a mess and was really fun (for the mess-makers out there).

The fruit, measured and washed.

The pitted and mashed cherries in the pot with sugar and pectin.

Simmering for awhile breaks down the fruit and blends it with the sweetener and pectin.

After some simmering, we now have the final product! Its that simple!

Sterilized Canning Jars. I boiled them for 10 minutes (the lids too).

Having the right tools will prevent contamination and burns! Do it the right way! Canning is science. Read up!

I prepared 6 half pint jars, but only 5 were needed. I got a little lazy with pitting the cherries and cut the recipe back slightly.

Pressed out air bubbles, fastened lids and then return the jars to boil for 15 minutes, covered with an inch of water. Remove from pot and place on wood or a towel to cool slowly. Any jar lids that don't seal properly should be re-canned or refridgerated and contents consumed within three weeks!

 There you have it! Stay tuned for my photo documented pickling! Coming soon!

Also...available soon in M Design Boutique, Canning Jar Candle Gift Set!

Warm Apple Pie, Sage Citrus, Maple Pumpkin Pie and Strawberries & Champagne