Christmas In July!

Many sellers on Etsy are going to participate in Christmas in July promotions! Starting July 15th through July 25th you can find amazing deals. Christmas In July is not just for holiday themed items, there will be a wide variety of items and deals. The Baltimore Etsy Street Team has come together for this event and many are offering free shipping to BOGO sales! There is a list of the participating BEST shops below. Once you are in their shop look at their shop announcement for the details of their special.

You will find handmade Jewelry items like this gemstone bracelet:



Use these July deals to spoil yourself or a loved one with a soothing Body Cleanser:



The following BEST member shops will be participating in this event :

Handcrafted Pearl, Swarovski and Button Jewelry – galla15
Recycled China Jewelry - TheBrokenPlate
Handcrafted Soap and Herbal Teas & more - lanabella
One of a Kind Kids Items - greenstarstudio
Recycled Silver Jewelry - elisasherejewelry
Handmade Jewelry and Wedding Items - yummyandcompany
Jewelry Adornments - AtelierAdornments
Hand Printed & Hand Sewn Design- Namoo
Handmade Cards and Paper Crafts - lindaspaperie
Handmade Skin and Body Care - SpaTherapy
Custom Pet Portraits - FuzzyMug
Simply, Beautiful, Handmade Jewelry - jerseygirldesign
Eco-Friendly Coupon Holders and Organizers - glowgirl16
Eco-Friendly Children Apparel - sweetpepita
Nostalgic Home Décor - jennyjen42

Take July to appreciate those we love by having a portrait done of your favorite pet!



You can find many deals on Etsy. Go to www.etsy.com now! You can type in “CIJ” “freeshipping” or “christmasinjuly” to find other deals on Etsy. Take advantage of these deals and go grab a gift for yourself, a loved one or stash a present away for the holidays.

Written by: Galla15

My Favorite Etsy Shop: Spoonfudge

What is Spoonfudge? Rich and smooth gourmet fudge to be eaten directly from the jar with a spoon. Imagine a jar filled with soft, creamy, dreamy fudge that melts away in your mouth. Yeah, it is THAT good!
With 14 delicious flavors like Chocolate Caramallow, Buttered Rum Bananas and White Chocolate Lemon, it is hard to choose just one. But you don't have to, they made it easier to choose by selling them in a set of two 5oz jars.



My latest indulgences were Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Coconut. Yum!


They currently only ship Spoonfudge once per month. The upcoming shipment dates start on August 4 so that it arrives to your doorsteps for your summer time enjoyment. will begin accepting orders July 9 and stop accepting them on July 18, so there's still time to get into next shipment.

Artscape Eats

Artscape is coming! The nation's largest open air arts festival is coming to our hometown. You'll need to plan for a full day or two halves if you want to make an effort at seeing all (or nearly all) of the great artists presenting this year.

Which means, your body's furnace is going to need fuel! I have two suggestions - both of which are more than four blocks south on North Charles Street from the main part of the festival. There are literally dozens of restaurants within a block of the festival proper, but I can tell you, they're going to be packed! So you may get hot and sticky on your 4-6 block walk to the restaurants, but when you get there you'll at least have some breathing room.


Image from citypaper.com

First up - Minato Sushi Bar - 1013 No. Charles Street - on the East side of the street, this is a great place to go if you happen to be there for the show on Friday. For lunch they have a reasonably priced, bento lunch special with good portions. Friday night happy hour offers several good half-price rolls.)

Next - my favourite place in a three-block radius: ThaIrish 804 No. Charles Street - actually my favourite Thai in Baltimore. ThaIrish isn't open until 4pm on Saturday, but it's worth the wait. Don't ask for extra spicy unless you really like extra spicy - I recommend the vegetarian pad thai. It's a tiny place - if it's too crowded inside, take your dinner to go and eat on a bench in the shadow of the monument.

And if you're at ThaIrish Saturday night, I just might see you there!

Post written by Tarabu

Random Baltimore Photo

Nikki, originally uploaded by Alex Stillson.

My Three Things, Maine Beach Escape

Shoresidechic's photograph, so fun to search for crabbies around Maine's rocky shore.

Jashme's exquisite ink drawing of a delicious lobster, mmmm...delish....

geelizzie's super cute Maine pin, love that vintage map usage!

Friday Finds: Bright & Cheery

Friday usually finds me in great spirits and today, I’m feeling like bright colors and bold patterns. Here’s some fun Friday eye candy!


Bite Me Adult Chef Apron by Handmade Whimzy



Orange Crush Dog Collar by Collars by Design


Dots & Stripes Summer Party Banner/Fabric Bunting by Blue Moon Studios



Felt Orange Mango And Peach Striped Sherbet Summer Cake by Vivians Kitchen

Post written by FuzzyMug

Baltimore Life, SalsaPolkaLooza, This Weekend!

image by greencitybaltimore

SalsaPolkaLooza is a multi-cultural street festival hosted by the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown. Attend this free event and get a whirlwind of culture and fun in a one block radius!

Kids can paint a community mural all day. With sloppy paint and brushes in hand, they can make their mark on the giant painting! There are lots of other art making stations for kids provided throughout the day.

image from tigerlillyshop

The list of performers, both music and dancing takes you around the world! I took a salsa lesson last year and then later I was doing the polka! This year the Love Peace Project gets the crowd going with hip hop African drum fusion, then later Mexican and Russian folk dancers hit the stage. There are break dancers, face painting, and you can even make your own music video. Shop Arts and Craft vendors, too!

Get some Caribbean food, a Dos XX or 2, and get cultured in this diverse community. Highandtown is a neighboorhood like no other! People from all walks of life really feel welcome at SalsaPolkaLooza! Ultimately, this is Baltimore's unconventional cuture at it's best! Your family will definitely have fun and make some great memories.

This Saturday July 10, from 12:30-5:30 FREE!!!

Periphery: An Artscape Off-site Exhibit

Gormley Gallery presents "Periphery," an exhibit of mixed media works based on or in dialogue with the photographic.


Laurie Flannery


Eric Finzi


Lisa McCarty


Isabel Manalo


Dennis Farber

Opening reception is this Saturday, July 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit is part of Artscape's off-site visual arts programming. The show runs through July 30.

When Insects Attack

The heat bugs are here, the mosquitoes, the works. They're out in full force. And when you're allergic to certain bugs, say bees, bugs create just a little bit more anxiety. Not these, though. These are some super snuggly buggers!



Handmade Inchworm Stuffed Animal from bubbletime


Nerf Little Bugger from Cotton Monster


Bug and friends from pipapiep

Twenty Things -Here Kitty

1. When I was a kid, people called me “Little Roddy” because I looked so much like my dad.
2. I will go to the ends of the earth to help a friend unless they ask me to bail them out of jail.
3. My dream job when I was 10 years old: a race car driver.
4. My dream job when I’m 60 years old: to be a published author.
5. My cat’s full name is Cable Nathan Dayspring Summers Rodriques.
6. Clowns make me very uncomfortable, especially when they smile at me.
7. If it has cute ears and a tail, I want to take it home. Cats, dogs, bunnies, squirrels…
8. I love all kinds of music: classical, hard rock, jazz, rap, techno. The list is endless.
9. One of my dreams is to visit every continent on the planet.
10. If I really want to dance I won’t hesitate to hit the dance floor, even by myself.
11. At various stages of my life, I have been a redhead and a blonde. (I’m a brunette naturally.)
12. If I ever win the lottery, I’m going to change my name and move to Tokyo.
13. I love to read. I’ve been known to tear through a 350 page book in one day.
14. Spinach is my favorite food. Really. I’m not kidding.
15. Apples run a close second.
16. I love Japanese anime and watch it every chance I get.
17. I can be bribed with good chocolate.
18. I hate having my picture taken.
19. I love hugs, giving and receiving them.
20. Making jewelry keeps me (somewhat) sane!

Post written by Here Kitty