Congratulations to Chocolista Colleen who has just had her second son. He was due June 4th, but was eager to arrive, born Mother's Day!

Celebrate with us, by joining in the fun and festivities at the Mommie Daze Virtual Baby Shower now through June 8...fabulous games, prizes, and party favors!

Atomic Dog's designs are delightful! Packaged with great care, Atomic Dog's jewelry makes fantastic gifts. Girls of all ages will giggle with glee to be adorned with such whimsy.

How did you get started in jewelry making?

I actually used to be a cake decorator. I taught a variety of Wilton Cake Decorating classes and was just in love with cake! I collected a massive amount of cake decorating books, unusual cake pans, and all sorts of other stuff. It was so much fun! But, a couple of years ago I moved into a smaller apartment and just didn’t have room to do cakes. So, I started making cake and cupcake themed jewelry instead since it takes up much less space! And now I have turned my cake decorating obsession into a jewelry making obsession!

What is your favorite form of chocolate? candy bar? shake? cake?

The most wonderful thing that I have EVER tasted is a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing from Magnolia Bakery in New York City! I swear I have dreams about how delicious it was- if you are ever in New York, you absolutely must visit Magnolia. It is definitely famous for good reason!

Where do you get your inspiration?
I draw my inspiration from a wide variety of places. Obviously my experience as a cake decorator is hugely influential on my jewelry designs. I feature cake, cupcake, ice cream and donut-related items. But, I am also a Ph.D. in Art History and work as a professor teaching a variety of courses on both Western and Asian art. While doing research for a Japanese Art course that I was teaching, I discovered the incredible phenomenon of kawaii! As many of you probably know, kawaii means “cute” in Japanese, and refers to the unbelievably adorable look of a wide range of Japanese products, like those featured in the Sanrio shops (Hello Kitty being the most famous example). I think of my jewelry as an American take on kawaii. My mantra for making jewelry pieces is that I never make anything that I wouldn’t proudly wear myself. If you’ve seen my shop, you can tell that I have a rather odd sense of humor and irony! I am a vegetarian, and yet I feature steak earrings in my store; I don’t smoke, and yet I made these silly cigarette earrings! I also make a lot of nostalgia-related items from my own childhood. I grew up in the 1980s and like every kid in the eighties, I was a big fan of Saturday Morning Cartoons. So many of the pieces featured in my shop have this kind of eighties nostalgia: Smurfette earrings, My Little Pony necklaces and even Carebears!

How to win:
1. Visit Atomic Dog's Etsy Shop. Leave a comment with your favorite item, including your name and email address (required) . . . we must have a way to contact the winner.

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I received a Chocolate Silk Pie charm from Pearberry. It's so cute. And it looks delicious. My only regret is that I can not actually eat it.



Pearberry offers several scrumptious hand made charms and earrings. Doughnuts, Cupcakes, Ice Cream cones. Just looking at the shop will make you hungry. All the items are unique and handmade.

If you love sweets and you love yummy jewelry, definitely check out Pearberry.

Win It! Enter our Be My Valentine Giveaway...click here!

Meet Frannie. Lovingly called, "The Heart Lady" by her husband. Frannie lives in Georgia where she hand makes hearts in her "Heart Room". Keep reading to learn more about her...

How did you get started in the "heart" business?
I have been making keepsake hearts for years for family, friends and neighbors. It is
something my grandmother once did. She would make these unique little keepsakes out of remnants of fabric. Birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy….it was something small, but it was from the heart. So, I guess you could say, I am carrying on the tradition. My website
is in dedication to my grandmother. My husband, daughter, and son-in-law encouraged me
to go into the heart business.



What will you be doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?
My husband has made plans for a long weekend at the beach in Florida!!

Have you ever used your hearts to play Cupid?
I personally haven’t used my hearts to play Cupid. But I have been the messenger for
many. This Valentine’s Day I will be preparing hearts for loved ones that cannot be together.

Quick, what is your favorite chocolate - bar, cake, cookie?
CAKE~!!!!!
(I’ve been working in the ice cream business for the last 18 years. So, PLEASE don’t tell my boss!!)

I like to eat healthy even when it comes to chocolate and cake. So, I’ve been experimenting with cake recipes that are gluten free.

Do you have a best loved chocolate recipe to share?
Oh, hard question. My mom would make this killer chocolate bread pudding.
Warm, thick, gooey. More like a cake than pudding. Yum.
The recipe is missing! Now I will be on a mission today to try and find it.
Hmm, an idea. Gluten free chocolate bread pudding. To the kitchen!!

WIN A KEEPSAKE HEART! Enter our Be My Valentine Giveaway...click here!

Perhaps you have seen her on Cuteable, follow her in the hive, or bought from her on Trunkt. Who? Kristin Friesen. The Godiva chocolate lovin' gal behind {sweeter than me} designs. If you've followed any or all of these blue links and responded accordingly, you will earn extra entries in our By My Valentine Giveaway!

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Kristin. Let me tell you a bit about the lady behind the lovely baubles. Keep reading...


When did you get started in the jewelry making business?

About 2 years ago after I had my son, a friend of mine had just had a baby as well. We thought it would be fun to start a little hobby together while we were on maternity leave and it quickly turned into much more than just a hobby! I immediately saw it as an excuse not to return to my job (which I never liked in the first place) and lucky for me, the decision has been justified :)



Do you enjoy crafting any particular piece of jewelry over another? Earrings or necklaces?

I tend to make more earrings. I don't really know why, they just come easier to me. I always get stuck on the measurements with necklaces, there are so many options as far as length, I tend to overwhelm myself with all the possibilities. I also really love making fun cocktail rings! Bracelets, hmm, not so much. I never wear them myself, so I often just forget about them.


How will you be celebrating Valentine's Day?

This Valentine's Day is looking like it will be a good one! My good friend, who is single, offered to take our 2 year old son for the entire weekend, what a treat! So my husband and I will be able to go out to dinner, go to the movies, whatever we want! I'm so looking forward to it, since it's not often we get a break like this (especially without even asking for it!).

Quick, Nestle or Hersheys?

Hmm, that's tough. My all time favorite chocolate bar is Twix, which is made by Mars. I'm not really picky... I have such a big fat sweet tooth that I'll eat just about anything with sugar in it. :)

Do you have a favorite chocolate drink recipe to share?

I used to work at a cafe and we would make Godiva hot chocolate. You can really use any kind of fancy-schmancy powdered hot cocoa mix. Just mix it with half and half (you can cut it with milk to cut the fat or make it less thick) or whole milk. I cook it in a pan on the stove and whisk it the entire time it's heating up to make it nice and frothy, just like the way you get it at a cafe. So fattening, but so delicious! Especially good with a some dark or white chocolate shavings on top, or a peppermint stick yum!

Want to win a fabulous piece of jewelry from Sweeter Than Me Designs? Enter our Be My Valentine Giveway...click here.