Auction Closing

Dear strangers, friends, frenemies, and family,

The auction benefit for Stephanie Nielson and Carol Decker has officially ended and I say a grand thank you to all of you who participated, from sponsors to bidders to winners. Hefty amounts were raised in this thing: over $1000! Way beyond my expectations. This is entirely thanks to my many generous and delightful sponsors of beauteous products, and to you, generous and delightful readers, who pushed the bidding high and made sure every item in here was bought to benefit Carol and Stephanie.

To the many vendors and readers who have contacted me offering donations of money and items: thank you. My auction is closed but if you click on the faces of Carol and Stephanie to the right you will be taken to websites full of info on how to help and containing updates on Carol and Stephanie's situations. The PayPal buttons below Carol's and Stephanie's pictures will also directly link you to their respective rehab funds, should you wish to make a cash donation.

Last, for all the many new readers who have come to me as a result of this auction. I feel the need to set the record straight: I am usually a very selfish, self-absorbed mom blogger who harnesses the power of negative thinking for her own petty laughs. In truth, I am not usually remotely inspiring and do not dispense nuggets of wisdom or joy. I do not believe in God and do not lead by example in any aspect of my life; the only thing I aspire to in this venue is to make fun of myself and others.

The auction benefit was a brief moment of respite for me from my usual self because we all need a break from ourselves. Carol's and Stephanie's stories moved me, obviously, and made me want to be other than my typical self. I am so glad I was able to use my blog for a higher purpose this week. But I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea: my lesser and unkinder self will be back in full force as of my next post, when I will return to bash Sarah Palin from here to way beyond the outer banks, where she belongs...and that post will be followed swiftly by cranky and trivial musings that may well offend those of more delicate and noble sensibilities. In short, the crabby mommy returns...

Thanks again to all of you who made this auction a success.

Sincerely,
Crabmommy

Abracadabra...I give you magic pants!

Auction has ended. The winner is CAMI!
THIS IS THE LAST AUCTION ITEM! That's all, folks!
This one's for Stephanie.
Skimbaco offers to you, my lovely bidders, these David corduroy pants for boys from Fable & Lore. Made of the softest cotton corduroy, they are straight leg cut, with one hidden pocket on the back, two in the front. And the magic part? There's a little attached coin pouch inside the left pocket filled with golden coins. The story behind it is a secret: the pants come with a little story book telling the adventures of Lore, an imaginary boy and the muse of talented designer behind Fable & Lore. Equally magical, perhaps, is that now your little David Blaine/David Copperfield might be less reluctant to wear fancy pants to that schmantzy function where cargoes won't cut it.

100% cotton; color: black. **Size 12 only (150cm).

Generously donated by Skimbaco.

Retail value: $70. Bidding starts at $15. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll down for more live auctions! This is the last item of my auction.

Tiny Dancer!

AUCTION HAS ENDED. The winner is DOULAMOMMA. This one's for Carol.
And you thought the cuteness was over, didn't you, my mom-friends? Almost, but not quite. Today is the last day for new items going up for auction and Crabmommy's going out with a bang rather than a whisper. This print, graciously donated by Jenny of peekaboo prints, is so sweet I really can't think of anything saucy to say about it. Tiny dancer is an original 8 x 10 print drawn in ink and digitally colored. The print is on 8 x 11", 100% rag museum etching paper. Winner gets to customize her print with skin color, hair color and/or child's name. How seriously, ridiculously cute is that?

Generously donated by peekaboo prints.

Retail value: $20. Bidding starts at $15. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll for more live auctions!

Halloween Craftacular!

AUCTION HAS ENDED. The winner is DOULAMOMMA. This one's for Stephanie.
Double-win in this auction. Crafter's take note! Up for grabs is one of Mabel's Labels' fantastic Crafter Packs, which includes 49 labels for the crafter who likes to know where her bobbins are. Labels are printed on red with white writing, and cover a range of supplies, from "adhesives" to "soap-making" to "stickers," "yarn," and "scrapbooking." More on the Crafter Labels here. Paired perfectly with these labels is a donation of delectable Halloween fabric from my lovely friend Dina over at Spiceberry Cottage, which is the all-time most delicious name for a store, I'm sure you'd agree. This stash consists of Sandy Gervais Pumpkins Gone Wild fabric squares. Not your average stack of pumpkins, these guys are adorned with dots, stripes, plaids, and are wearing hats and making faces behind our backs. The pack includes 45 5" fabric squares, 100% cotton. Each square is of a different print from this fabric collection. You can see everything you're getting here. So, crafty peeps, what will you make with these? An adorable patchwork costume for a scarecrow, perhaps? Or if you're an eco-mommy, dispense with all those pre-wrapped Halloween treats and bundle yours up in one of these fabric squares. Many spooktacular uses. I can't believe I just said "spooktacular," but I guess I did. Another word about Spiceberry Cottage: Dina has all sorts of fabulous fabrics, from the Heather Bailey stuff you crafters adore to Japanese vintage fabrics, Michael Miller etc. etc. She's a generous lady; please visit her lovely shop.

Generously donated by Mabel's Labels and Spiceberry Cottage.*

Retail value: $19.50. Bidding starts at $10. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll for more live auctions! Fabulous artwork and nursing gear below. Yay!

Love That Preppy Boy! Fable & Lore shirt

AUCTION HAS ENDED. The winner is KIM. (Kim, I will be in touch.)
This one's for Stephanie.
Skimbaco offers this preppy size 12 Fable & Lore button-up shirt for your delectation. How sweet is that boy? He looks as though he's weighing up the choice between Brown and Princeton. As though his name is Dexter. No staycation for him this year! Europe calls! Seriously stylish, our lad's plaid sports the colors of fall on a white background. 100% cotton and graciously donated by Skimbaco, the company responsible for Suri Cruise's little ladybug shoes. Check them out; they have loads of lovely gear.
*Generously donated by Skimbaco.*
Retail value: $45. Bidding starts at $10. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll for more live auctions! Fabulous artwork below.

Behind Every Good Man is a Great Power Tie

AUCTION HAS ENDED. The winner is KAREN. (Karen, I will be in touch.) This one's for Carol.
"Behind Every Good Man is a Great Power Tie" is the title of this hilarious watercolor print, graciously donated by my good friend Ashley from her etsylicious store. This is a 5x6 inch watercolor in a black 11x14 frame. The piece really cracks me up! The artist says it's her commentary on being a Stay At Home Mother/Navy wife. It's been a fair while since Crabmommy dug deeply into the interpretation of fine art, but I'm going to give it a go. The irony called up by the title is neatly illustrated by the man in his power tie, dominating the foreground, while in the background, his hunched-over wife sorts through the dresser drawers, showing who's really behind the man's success. The punch line here obviously derives from the twist on the phrase "Behind every good/great man there's a good/great woman," itself a commentary on the power dynamics inherent in male-female partnerships. Evidently the wife here is really the powerhouse of the duo: the guy can't even get dressed without his wife's help, and probably she chose the dang tie too...that said, she looks pretty beaten down by the sheer drudgery of it all, poor girl, and could use a large martini or an affair with Javier Bardem. So much for power! And then there is the tie itself: that bright red focal point of the picture. It spells out something we all know to be true in various forms: that appearances are all-powerful, though they may also be deceiving. Whooo...Crabmommy goes deep! And maybe the most salient and thought-provoking observation I can make is that I think the artist has an IKEA Malm series bureau like me! Okay, so my prattle may be so much hoo-ha, but the fact is this piece makes me talk and think a lot, and good art should. And now my head hurts. And yours does too.

I'd like to add that Ashley is another of my chums from Offsprung, the website for parents who are not completely boring. Thanks Offsprungers who have so kindly donated to this auction.

*Generously donated by Ashley of babywalls.

Retail value: $75. Bidding starts at $15. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll for more live auctions! Fabulous artwork and nursing gear below. Yay!

Handmade quilt!

THIS AUCTION HAS ENDED. The winner is MINDY! (Mindy, I will be in touch.)








This one's for Stephanie. Featuring sublime shades of pinks and reds, this quilt, graciously donated by Jules of InkiesandSmushies, is ridiculously fetching in a vintage-fabulous way. It has been machine quilted in sweet pattern of daisies and dragonflies and bound by hand with an invisible stitch. It's made with 100% cotton fabric, including the batting, and has already been washed and dried to enhance its vintage appearance. Perfect for cuddling up with or for use as a wall hanging. Machine washable. 34"x39". I should also mention that in addition to quilting, Jules makes loads of lovely snuggly baby blankies. And there is absolutely nothing cheeky Crabmommy can find to say about that. Just sweetly, simply lovely. Did I mention Jules and I met through Offsprung, my fave online hangout for parents who don't suck? A least, most Offsprungers don't. I can't vouch for myself, though. I think at least one or two Offsprungers find me a pain in the rear. Anyhoo.

Generously donated by InkiesandSmushies.

Retail value: $70. Bidding starts at $15. Don't know how to bid? Check bidding rules. Scroll for more live auctions! Fabulous artwork and nursing gear below. Excellent!