Birthday Post!

Happy (belated) birthday to an integral part of Kokoba Jewelry, Lawyer Mom!

In addition to answering questions on IP and trademark issues when it comes to handmade goods, Lawyer Mom has often played the role of Shipping Elf while I've been outside the States. If you've ordered anything from me in the last nine months and it's arrived safe and sound and on time, it's because Lawyer Mom has taken the time to dig through my stash, package it up, and mail it to you. 

She is getting a belated gift from me, of course, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year! Like, Lawyer Mom is pretty crafty herself and has been a life-long hooker.

"Mexican Hamsters and Margaritas" hand-dyed sock yarn by EtherealFibers

I want to say that Ethereal Fibers have great names for their products. Many of them are taken from hilarious smartphone autocorrects. They're all pretty funny (and gorgeous!), though it took me a little digging to find one that would be mom-appropriate. Perfect for any of your knitting or hooking friends who have been known to laugh at the odd dirty joke or two.

But Lawyer Mom's number one passion in life is music. I consider myself incredibly blessed to have grown up in a family that valued music and encouraged me on whatever random musical venture I wanted to do next (by the end of high school, I'd had lessons in piano, violin, clarinet, alto and bari saxophone, and trombone). Listening to my mom play the piano, whether to practice for playing in church or just for fun, made me want to play, too.

Sterling Treble Clef Ring by keoops8

(Though, of course, you should never wear rings while playing the piano.)

But it wasn't ONLY Lawyer Mom's birthday yesterday! It was also the ninth birthday of my friend Jenny's oldest boy, Will! From what Jenny says, he's already a little Minecraft-obsessed and Lego-loving protoscientist/engineer and it's obvious that he's going to make his parents SO PROUD one day. Already he is definitely very special to both of them.

Plush Minecraft Diamond Sword by AtomicPlush

Wouldn't you know but there are SO MANY Minecraft items on Etsy. Not all of them are of a particularly high level of quality. This awesome plush sword is one of the few exceptions. What 9-year-old wouldn't love it? And it's plush, so it's not like anyone will get hurt playing with it. You can even cuddle up and sleep with it!

LEGO Minifig Patent Print by StevesPosterStore

I know art is kind of an unusual choice of gift for kids, but I love the look of patent figure art. It's very much like all those lovely illustrated "How Stuff Works" books, and who doesn't love those? A great way to have an idea of what's inside your minifigs without ruining any of them. ;)

In general, I get super-excited when people I know share birthdays. I know it's hardly rational or scientific, but it feels like they have some kind of special connection (I mean, beyond both knowing me, of course). Happy (belated) birthday, Will and Lawyer Mom!