{{{ Happy March! }}}

It is amazing to me that we are already into the third month of this “new” year. Cliche, yes, but – wow! – how time flies.

On this first day of this new month, I have been quite a simpleton. I have done yoga, done laundry, cleaned some, had a walk, made some food, finished one book, begun another and dealt with an awful pain in my big toe. Yes, my big toe. I have no idea what caused this or what the malady might be but, it is there all the same, and a nuisance, to be honest. But, this too shall pass, of course.

The book that I just finished is The Other Boleyn Girl; the one that I’ve just begun is Ishmael. These two books could not be more different. I know little about the one I’ve just started but much about the one I’ve just finished. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is historical fiction, a genre that I had not realized before that I had such an attraction to. But, as it seems, I do. This book is entrancing, very easy to read and – like any good book – leaves you wanting more at the end. However, with the queen sans her head, there isn’t much more that could be elaborated upon. The book, however, isn’t directly about Anne Boleyn. It is about her sister, Mary but, more or less, tells the story of Anne through her sister’s narration. The story of Mary is a very good and, most of the time, an honorable one. Well, she ends up honorable anyway. Anne Boleyn was and is a fascinating character. It seems ironic and sadly odd to me that she has such a fan-base now – literally a HUGE fan-base – all these many, MANY years later when, in truth, all she was doing – really all she did to create such a following – was living her life, and, in the end, trying to keep it.

At any rate, read the book. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

But, back to March.

March is a great month. March sees the onset of Spring and hopefully keeps the Ides at bay. March is also the birth month of some special people. March will bring us Saint Patrick’s Day and green beer, Pet Sitter’s Week, Procrastination Week, and Chocolate Week (sadly, however, Chocolate Week does not coincide with Peanut Butter Lover’s Day which is … TODAY!) As any other month, it brings more weird daily celebrations than you can even imagine, more than should even be embarked upon here.

There are a slew of month-long recognitions in March, including, but not limited to Foot Health Month, Frozen Food Month, Irish-American Heritage Month, Noodle Month, Red Cross Month and Women’s History Month.

But, my favorite for March is National Craft Month. As a crafter and bonafide Etsy lover, this is a perfect time to mention some of the wonderful things and talented artists on “your place to buy and sell all things handmade.” Admittedly, I buy more on Etsy than I sell so I should know many of the treasures available there. Here are some of my favorites for Spring:

Ceramic pendants from LeapingLizards

Stickers from Time2Cre8

Mayan Gold from Gudonya (Smells so heady and exotic!)

ACEOs from Stilettoheights

Nest helper from KraftyMomma (What could be better for Spring?)

Olive Bliss Lip Balm from DressGreen (The hint of rosemary makes this just irresistible!)

Mineral Foundation Powder from Lushbox

Vanilla Spice Chai Vegan Body Frosting from Lushbox

Olive Oil Soap Bar from BathandBodyBoutique (So simple but amazingly effective – smells great too!)

Remember to BUY HANDMADE!

Happy Etsy-ing …

And HAPPY MARCH! 🙂