NEW Expo to the London area!

Happy Thursday!!  With the weekend almost here are you looking for something to do that does not involve work of any kind? Are you a parent to be, parent, grandparent or any one really that has children in your life this is the expo for you. Taking place at the Western Fair District, Progress Building May 26th, 2012, 10am to 5pm and May 27th, 2012, 10am to 4pm
New to the London area the London Bump, Baby & Toddler Expo will not be a disappointment. Full of local business from the area including products and services all under one roof for a one stop shop. Here is a link for all business taking part: Exhibitors

Along with the many shopping opportunities to be had there will be events to attend such as The WotWots on Saturday and Ricky Magic. ca on Sunday. So don't leave the little ones at home bring them along for the fun.

EXPO DEAL ALERT!

Along with the shopping and entertainment some of the business have offered Expo Deals. Snag yourself savings by checking this out: Expo Deals

There is a admission cost for the Expo but here is the best part about that. Part of the admission will go to Children's hospital.

Even though I will not be at this Expo this time around with Unique by Sab Handmade Children's Accessories I will be there to shop and visit many of the fantastic business to see what they have to offer.  Be sure to stop by Petal Babies booth as they will have some of my products for purchase.

For more information regarding the London Bump, Baby & Toddler Expo please visit: London Bump, Baby & Toddler Expo

Enjoy!

Sab.

*photos and information obtained from London Bump, Baby & Toddler Expo and Petal Babies General Store*

Hello Sun!

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday!

Yes, I have been MIA for a while. Life just gets so busy and it took a 10 year old to say " Mommy, can you stay home PLEASE?" Well, that was enough for me to get the hint my children missed me and well I'm pretty tired too. Just in time for the beginning of Summer fun and Summer sun.  Of which both I look forward to very much. Along with the oh so warm Summer sun come those not so nice harmful rays.  There is nothing worse than a fiery red burn on your body to remind you sunscreen is a must. So what is your sunscreen of choice for the family? Our family uses Badger 30SPF all natural sunscreen.

This Badger sunscreen is all natural and unscented which is ideal for our sensitive skinned family.  Works great I have found even after a swim.  For more information on Badger Balm products visit: Badger Balm

With so many sunscreens on the market how does a family choose? Is it based on what your family has used for generations or cost of a product? Maybe its the scent or amount of SPF a sunscreen contains.  I was told about this site that lists ingredients in sunscreens that are on the market and well some of the ingredients do not sound all that great.  the Environmental Working Group has compiled a list and has given a rating to each sunscreen that is on it. Why not have a look and see how your families sunscreen rates: EWG's Sunscreen Rating

Along with the sunscreen don't forget your hats and sunglasses.

Have a fantastic day and enjoy,

Sab.

Where in the world is Unique by Sab?

Evening and Happy Wednesday!!
Nope, Unique by Sab is not on a warm tropical beach some where soaking up the sun but I so wish for those days of Summer to be here. However, I have been busy and have been circulating the event circuit as I always do in the Spring and Fall.  So far I Have been in Kitchener/ Waterloo, Ontario and London, Ontario so where do I go next?

Unique by Sab will be there with our sister company Creative Canadian Designs.  Its a fantastic event with so much to offer.  Best part is its in my home town London, Ontario. Where else do you ask I will be?

Again Unique by Sab will be there with our sister company Creative Canadian Designs.  The Made By Hand Show is a huge event held in Mississauga, Ontario.  What you will find are over 150 vendors with goods all made by hand.  This event is not limited to only one kind of craft or art but many so it is a DO NOT MISS event and is well worth the drive.  Plus I have a discount for you for The Made By Hand Show.  See that flyer above ^^^^^ print it out or contact me and I will forward you one as you will need it to snag only $1.00 admission and the kids get in for FREE.

I have a few more events I will share with you in the days to come one in Strathroy, Ontario and one in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

Enjoy!

Sab.

I'm BACK!!! World Autism Awarness Day and Month

Good evening and Happy Monday.

Sorry I have been MIA for the last while.  Seems our luck ran out with dodging all the bugs out there and well I think my family had every single one possible in a 6 week span. All is great now and I'm back at it.
I have a lot to update but I will do so in stages. For starters today is World Autism Awareness Day and the start of Autism Awareness Month.  We have all heard of Autism right but do we all know what it really is and how it effects families?  I actually do know as my son is on the spectrum but to help others understand as it is quite a complex disorder here is a very informative web site:

http://www.autismontario.com/

Our family has been apart of Autism Ontario for quite some time and with out their support many families such as ours would be struggling with day to day tasks.

To give back Unique By Sab Handmade Children's Accessories will donate $1.00 from every order placed for the month of April 2012 to Autism Ontario.  This is the 2nd year we have ran fundraiser and will continue to do so for many years to come.  How to place a order? You can place any order including custom orders online at: www.uniquebysab.webs.com or on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/Uniquebysabhandmadechildrensaccessories

More updates to come.

Enjoy,

Sab.
                                                        
                                                        

Happy Weekend!!!

Good Morning and Happy Weekend!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Family Day on Monday, got their fill of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and are still going strong with their thing to give up for the 40 days of Lent which started on Wednesday.
Yes, I have missed a very eventful week for good reason though.  We have all been sick and lucky me I was the last in  line to get it. :-(  Tis the season I suppose.
Anyhoo, this is what I woke up to this morning a good blanket of snow.  I'm not terribly sad about it as we have had a none existent winter this year.  The snow man above was the only snow man made this winter and he melted the next day.
I did manage to get a few things done product wise and am dying to share with you.  I did manage to pull in some new designs for soother clips.  I am always getting requests for more boy prints and let me tell you these are very hard to find. Here you go. :-)

I love this one. Oh so cute owls. I'm sure a girl could use this one too as there is a lot of brown and green in there too.  This would be a great match with one of the owl Neckerchief bibs I have in 2 different owl prints.

All around the barn yard with this cute farm animal theme on a royal blue. I could not resist this one.

I love stripes and found this one with a combo of blues, lime green and white. Yes, I know white but tested and true these wash fantastic with dish soap and hung to dry. I have even thrown all my soother clips in the wash in a washer bag.

Groovy man!!! Got to love the symbols of the 60s. Peace, Love and Happiness is written all over this soother clip.

Purple is another hard one to find for some reason.  I had to get this one when I saw it.  A beautiful orchid purple with dots.
I do have a few more prints on the way and am eagerly waiting to make them and show you.  Also, don't forget I can make all these prints into soother clips used for ALL soothers types.

Enjoy!

Sab.

Happy Fat Thursday ( Tłusty czwartek) (Schmutziger Donnerstag)

Good afternoon and Happy Fat Thursday!!!
I love this day, why you ask? because its Fat Thursday.  Coming from and German family and my husband being Polish we celebrate this day the only way we know how. By eating a lot of Paczki ( procnounced Ponch kee)  I did not have time to drive into town to go buy these oh so wonderful fatty goodness so I said why not try and make them myself.  I make everything else so why not right?  Well, I can tell you this it is a all day thing but actually was very easy.
Thanks to: www.food.com for the easy recipe.  First I made the dough. Its a yeast dough so you will have to let it rise a few times which is what takes all the time but I will tell you this it is so worth the wait. Dough is mixing. :-)

The finished dough before letting it rise.



In the oven where its warm and dark for the rising process.

After letting the dough rise 2 times its time to cut these babies out.

The traditional filling for Paczki is Plum Butter or Rose Marmalade.  I chose Plum Butter but you can fill them with what ever your heart desires. Cover the filled side with a blank side and pinch to close.

Guess what? Let them rise again. :-)

Now its time to cook these.  They are a doughnut of sorts after all so deep fry it is.  I can tell you this they cook super quick.

This recipe make 18 Paczki and I was quite surprised how big they are.  The cut outs were only 3" in diameter.

I topped mine with sprinkled icing sugar but you could drizzle with honey or even glaze them.

It was a lot of fun making these and I will for sure make them again.  The official taste tester (my husband) said I should have been Polish. ;-)
For more information and history on Fat Thursday visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Thursday

Enjoy as I know I will!

Sab.

Photo Share Wednesday!!

Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday!! Show season has begun as I receive many contracts to confirm where I will be with all of the Unique by Sab Handmade Children's Accessories product line for 2012.  Some products have been around for a while but with new designs but I have added new products as well within the last few months.

More No Slip Hair Clips.

Headbands which are reversible. So two headband for the one price. got to love that!!!

NEW 2012 Mitten Clips and Soother Clip fabric. Orchid with White Dots.

Neckercheif Bib NEW print Puppies.

Have a great day!!

Sab.



Its all about RED, PINK and WHITE!!

Good afternoon and Happy Valentine's Day 2012!!
Hope you all have a chance to give hugs and kisses to the ones you love today.  How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?  Our family celebrates it a little differently starting 5 years ago.  Today is my son's Birthday Day and he was the best Valentine's Gift a mama ever could ask for.  The cake on the yellow plate (photo above) is my son's birthday cake.  I make one for him every year.  I figure why not while he is still little and won't complain about being a heart. :-)

I got wondering how did Valentine's Day come about.  Why is it a day for lovers? According to www.wikipedia.org :

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were expounded briefly in Legenda Aurea.  According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.
Since Legenda Aurea still provided no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail.

Another really interesting fact I found on www.epilepsyfoundation.com :
Did you know St. Valentine is considered to be the patron saint of epilepsy? True story.
Medicine and religion have long been intertwined, however medical practitioners were sometimes regarded skeptically in medieval times causing people to seek spiritual intervention for their illnesses.
In addition, brain disorders in the 14th and 15th centuries were widely regarded as supernatural phenomena incited by evil spirits or the devil.
Because many people believed their symptoms were the work of dark spiritual forces, it made sense for them to combat their perceived tormentors with an antidote to evil in the form of saints—in particular patron saints—who were believed to have restorative abilities for specific ailments.
Information on the origins of St. Valentine’s connection to epilepsy varies. Some accounts suggest he is connected to epilepsy because the name Valentine is similar to the German word for “fallen.” Epilepsy was once known as the “falling sickness” because some seizures cause a person to lose consciousness and fall. Still other legends propose that a 3rd century bishop named Valentine von Terni freed the son of a Roman orator from an epileptic seizure.
The good news is, medical research and an increasing variety of scientifically proven therapies have improved the lives of the nearly 3 million people living with epilepsy in the United States, significantly diminishing the need to turn to supernatural forces for respite!
So, in the wake of this Valentine’s Day, when all the sugar-coated, floral-scented hype has passed, remember that Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers, it’s for people with epilepsy, too.

Why not a cute craft for today.  Thank you DLTK for this wonderful and easy craft.  Instructions: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mcandy-butterfly.htm

So a little history, a craft and my baking are part of today's Valentine's Day here in the UNIQUE household.

Enjoy!

Sab.

Its a SWEET Day!!!

Good afternoon and Happy Monday!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Looks like Winter is back in Ontario with the snow we all got and the very cold temperatures. Bundle up!
Today I took a break from my usual creations and decided to make sweets.  Well, truth be told I kind of had too with Valentines being tomorrow. :-) My daughter came home with a note that girls are to bring treats for the class and a cake for a Cake Walk to raise funds for the year end trip.  I also had to make a cake for tomorrow anyway as a certain family member has a Birthday Tomorrow. :-)
I love anything hand made and that includes food so this was right up my alley.
First I started to prep my 2 cakes.

The heart cake pan I found at the dollar store and is actually pretty good but lesson learnt make sure you grease and flour the pan VERY well.

Th fun part icing and decorating.  Bulk barn has some really cute sprinkles made into to tiny hearts in pink, red and white.

Now I was on a  roll and went on to making sweets for my daughters class.  I hit up Bulk Barn for coloured wafer chocolate in pink, cool sprinkles that are tiny hearts (yes, I used these in the cakes too), sucker sticks, marshmallows, clear bags and ribbon.

Simply stick a sucker stick in each marshmallow.  Dip the end in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles right after so they stick. 







The time consuming part was wrapping these things.  I made 42 of them today.

Finished product.  Thank you to www.pinterest.com for the wonderful idea.  Very easy and very cute.

Enjoy!

Sab.

Requests anyone??

Good evening and happy Thursday.
Its been a long day and I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and relax with a hot cup of tea.  One thing I do get a lot of are custom orders and requests.  I love getting these as its something special I am making just for that person.  It may be their favourite colour or its a wanted accessory to match a outfit or outer wear.  Flapper Caps are one of the most custom orders I receive.  The colours are endless. Then you can have solid or stripes. Then choose a crochet flower or silk flower. 

Custom orders are fun and I love seeing the finished product but nothing challenges me more than a request.

A few of my current products were customer requests.  Someone looking for a accessory that will function for them but so far have not been able to find.  I love the challenge of designing the item and making someone happy that they were listened too and taken seriously.  Here are a few of those customer requests.

Pixie Cap requested by a photographer for a prop. (http://site.mamarazziphotography.ca/Home.html

Toy Clip for a mom who has lost "Sophie" too many times.

Soother Clips for all soother types.

Crochet Headbands

Flapper Caps with silk flowers ( original design crochet flower only)

Quite a few of Unique by Sab products are request from customers. :-)  That is what Unique is about, creating trendy products for YOU!!  I will always welcome custom orders and product requests. Give me a challenge, a idea and I will create it to the best I can.  All handmade of course.

Enjoy,

Sab.