The Happy Woman Store

Want to win all of this fabulous swag??? (It’s a $142 value!)  Just tell us about a woman who has influenced your life and why…anybody from Mother Teresa to your first grade teacher…and you’ll be entered for the random drawing on March 31st.  You can send us an email (thehappywomanstore @ gmail.com) with the subject line: WHM Giveaway; you can contact us on our site or you can follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/hpywoman.) with a DM including your entry info.

You’ll get a Billion Dollar Bar, The Happy Woman Tee, Flying Wish Paper, Girl’s Night Out Bath Truffle Set, Chick Soap, Take Your Dreams off the Backburner Tile, Erin Smith “Book Club” canvas.

I love this line because it features the 4 F’s: Fashion Forward Fair Trade.  Designed by  two talented best friends turned businesss partners, this  sweet line is manufactured in India by women who are paid well for their work and who also have a voice in the operations of the business, from beginner sewers to marketing directors.  Many of the designs feature color-blocking techniques that have been used in India for generations but, sadly, are starting to be left behind.  Look for hand-woven tops, dresses, and skirts in our Suttons Bay store in May. 

We found some really groovy new products as we made our way around the country shopping our shoes off! We found this line in Chicago and the artist is from Michigan — Sault Ste Marie! She makes sweet little plates (like the one shown above) as well as pendants (you can see one example below). Everything is ceramic, hand painted..and she is a dynamic ball of energy…so you know her work has some of that love in it, too. The plates will be on line soon and the pendants will be in our Suttons Bay store in May.

Send your sister, your daughter, your BFF, your best bud at work a little something for Valentine’s Day this year!

Save 10% through 02/14/10. Use promo code FRIEND at check out!

Well, look no further. Play the Plastic Makeover Game on www.oxygen.com. It’s good for hours of enjoyment as you try out celeb hairstyles, a smaller nose, and wrinkle removing on yourself, your friends, your frenemies. Game on.

There are a myriad of places and reasons to use Flying Wish Paper (I mean, let’s face it — who doesn’t need a flying wish now and again) and this year, I’m using it for my New Year’s resolutions. In years past, I have resolved and then failed and then felt guilty for failing….ya da ya da…you know the drill. This year, my resolutions will become intentions. My intentions will be written on wish paper and then released when I light them. That’s it. Poof, they’ll be gone. I’ll do my best to fulfill my intentions, but it’s really out of my hands now.

It all started 5 years ago with this red and white tin that was tucked in with my Christmas gifts from my mom and dad. One bite of this creamy, chocolatey, minty, crunchy delight and I was hooked for life. Had I never really tasted the exquisite delights of peppermint bark before? Sadly, no. But, I decided to make it a life long goal to make up for lost time. This one’s from Williams Sonoma.

These squares from Ghirardelli are good if you’re in a hurry. You can tuck some of these in your purse and experience bark bliss on the go. Slightly different from Williams Sonoma, the peppermint crunch is on the inside! Little niblets of cool are sandwiched between white and milk chocolate for a barky delight.

Finally, the latest bark I’ve tried, I discovered in a local cheesecake bakery. Look at the thick chunks of chocolate and notice how much peppermint is sprinkled on top (these are two things a bark specialist takes note of). The chocolate isn’t flavored with peppermint — all of the minty cool comes from the crunch on top.

So, there you have it: my Christmas addiction. Thank God, you can only find it once a year! Merry Christmas everybody!

If you have a Twitter account, you can find out whether you’ve been naughty or nice, just by entering your Twitter username. And, in case you’re wondering? Naughty.

If you don’t have a Twitter account, get one — and follow us!

That’s the only explanation I can come up with for the reason that the cookies (pictured above) looked incredible when they came out of the oven…and kind of like an 8 year old finished them up (pictured below). What can I say..I guess I didn’t pay attention during frosting class.

The cookies themselves were really delicious - very gingery. I got the recipe from recipezaar.com (gingerkitten)

The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional) (I put this in!)
Directions
1 In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
2 In a large bowl (KitchenAid’s great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
3 Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
4 Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.
5 Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
6 (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
7 Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8 Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.
9 Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
10 Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.
11 Use additional flour to avoid sticking.
12 Cut out cookies with desired cutter– the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.
13 Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
14 Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies– very good!).
15 Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
16 After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.
17 I usually brush them with a powdered sugar glaze when I am in a hurry, but they look wonderful decorated with Royal icing. (Or you can glob the frosting on and sprinkle with sugar, like I did!)