Mable's Unique Shopping Blog » books

Bring Nature Indoors with Eco-Friendly Decor

Sean — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:14:24 +0000

We’ve talked about VivaTerra’s Root of the Earth Bowls. They are beautiful and make a great gift idea, but it’s time to feature some larger items that can really help surround you with nature in the comfort of your own home.

Set the stage for your magical getaways (a.k.a. books) with this whimsical book shelf that utilizes dense elm wood as well as Indian root and trunk materials for outer decoration. Finally something to hold all your Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and other nerdy fantastical escapes!
There is also a matching Root Wine Rack for those who like to live dangerously and drink while reading.

Now where will you set your book down while you get up to get your wine from the favorite reading spot? On this
Branch & Glass Side Table of course! Yep, with branches working together to support the snazzy glass top it looks like nature is here to serve you. A matching Branch & Glass “Console” Table (whatever that means) is also available.

Last but not least on today’s list is … say it with me kids … a STOOL! Yay for stools! (pun intended).
OK now that’s out of the way what else can be said about these reclaimed wood stools? Well they are made of wood, beautiful Japanese teak in this case, and they are great for an impromptu sit down, or end table, or they can even be magical chairs out in your secret garden.

It’s pretty much perpetually sunny here in San Diego, CA, but if I was living in an area that had winter to make me stay indoors, I’d be sure I had some eco-friendly nature inspired furniture to help keep me company.

Dream Big plus Free Shipping

Lauren — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:43:40 +0000

About 3 years ago I picked up my first copy of Dream Big by Lisa Hammond on a lark. I was skimming the New Arrivals section at my library and the bright cover and bold title leaped out at me. It wasn’t a topic I had been consciously thinking about, but I was willing to give it a look. The ambitious tag line sounded great too – “Finding the courage to follow your dreams and laugh at your nightmares” – but I wondered how the author was going to cram such life-changing info into the relatively small book. The introduction gives a great insight when Lisa mentioned that she did not start with a business plan, despite everyone insisting that she do so. Following a lengthy “winning formula” can be so helpful at times, but your creativity and integrity will rapidly change your entire life. What made this book so endearing and inspirational to me was that simplicity. She encourages women to start with what counts: finding your passion. Everything else will flow easier once you start from a place of personal honesty. We’ve all heard the old saying that when you find work you love, it never feels like work. This is exactly why Lisa’s book is called Dream Big! She helps break down some of the internal barriers that prevent us from pursuing our DREAM calling. Not a “job” or even a “career”, but a “calling”. What a huge difference this will make in finding fulfilling activities to pursue.

The author is well qualified to write this book, as she is the owner of the mail order company Femail Creations (”Gifts to Celebrate and Inspire Women“). It was started by Lisa when she stopped working at her husband’s construction company. Like many of us, she was “going crazy” working at a job that she had little interest in! Lisa needed new work that was meaningful to her, and would allow her to stay home with their daughter. She was able to do both when she realized her dream of starting a mail order company. What made that meaningful and fulfilling for her was that she offers products that also support other women. Femail Creations sells many handmade, limited run, artisan products created by women, some of which are also SAHMs. Not only does Ms. Hammond now have a calling that she loves, but she is able to help other women realize their dreams by giving them a place to sell their creations. That’s the kind of win-win business planning that I love to hear about!

Femail Creations doesn’t really do sales, but they just let us know about a FREE shipping sale for orders $75+. No coupon code required, just click the link and it will automatically be entered into your cart.

Other places to buy the book online: Half.com (my fave), Amazon, and eBay

Unexpected Green Gifts

Sean — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:26:51 +0000

Many of us think of everyday items like a car, clothes, electrical devices, etc. when we think of a green gift. Mable’s wants to expand your thinking to notice the things that are eco-friendly without the added manufacturing and marketing.

This blog post we are featuring Back to Basics Toys because, they carry a vast amount of wooden toys and games that aren’t just fun, but also educational and award winning. But, how is a wood toy more green?

Reasons why Wood is Good: Longevity of items (say no to planned obsolescence) , Perfect for your child’s development, Non toxic material, and many are American made, which avoids the need for shipping overseas.

Mable’s wants to remind you that everyday is Earth day and every decision we make has an effect, so let’s do the best we can everyday.

Star Wars: Mos Eisley Bookends

Sean — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:21:58 +0000

“Going somewhere, Solo?” Those are Greedo’s first words to his last conversation. I’m generally not a bookends kind of guy, but when they are Star Wars themed, clever, and well made with good detail then I get interested. This is definitely a gift for the Star Wars fan or collector in your life. Use them to prominatly display your massive Star Wars book collection, or just all the various DVD versions you’ve purchased over the years (first release, special edition, limited edition, box set with extra features, and I’m sure there is more to come).

WickedCoolStuff’s product descriptions says it best; These bookends dipict one of the most famous, and controversial (Han Shot First! or option 2) scenes from all of the Star Wars films: the infamous Han Solo and Greedo Showdown at the Mos Eisley Cantina! These bookends stand 6″ tall by 10″ wide when together, and are made of hand painted polyresin. These also come with a certificate of authenticity since it is an officially lincensed Star Wars collectible.

This product isn’t available until November 2006, but you can pre-order yours from WickedCoolStuff or Entertainment Earth.

Used Text Books for Back to School

Sean — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 19:41:37 +0000

It’s back to school time and for a lot of people that means new clothes, school supplies, and of course books. Books are an essential item that can’t be overlooked or bought later in the school year, so it’s wise to get them now at a low price. In my experience it is best to buy the books used simply because of the cost. I’m not talking about used for the past 5 years kind of books. I’m talking about “used for one or two semesters and no longer needed by that student” quality. The best place I’ve found for used text books for school is Half.com. They have a huge selection, because it is user based, so you are buying from normal people like you and me instead of stores. (Also helps students get more money for their books than the pennies that their school bookstore would give them.) They also have an easy to navigate website and solid user rating system for buyer confidence which is very similar to eBay. In fact, you can basically visit both sites at the same time because half.com also displays eBay auctions at the bottom of each page. I love eBay, but that’s why I go to half.com first for books and movies.

I use the uber convenient “search by ISBN number” feature so that I get the exact book my classes require. There are lots of revisions out there and you need to make sure you get the right book for the right class. The banner above will take you right to their textbook superstore where you can easily type in the ISBN numbers of the books you need.

COUPON: Get an additional $5 off of a purchase of $50 or more. Simply use coupon code “SAVEBIGNOW”. Good only for new buyers. Offer expires September 29, 2006.