To say that I have had a caffeine fueled week is an understatement. Ranking top on my list of sleep depriving activities has been the start of the school year. My daughter started kindergarten this week, so for those of you that are parents (or hallmark commercial fans) you understand what kind of heart-wrenching week that is. Kind of shocking to see your little baby walking by herself into a huge school.  Now..back to that coffee. I am not a morning person. My daughter is not a morning person. So what do I do? I send perky, early bird, loud little brother into my daughter’s room every morning to do the scary job of waking her up. I figure he is only two feet tall and could hit the deck much faster than me if any wayward pillows get launched in his direction.  He usually starts off with a simple tug of her sheets and soft, “Anna?” If that doesn’t work he goes into full toddler lion growls and rips off the comforter. His last and most effective move is to sprinkle his ice cold sippy cup of water on her. I know. He is one brave little dude. That and he can run much faster than me.

So whether you are one of those early birds or a night owl like me..here are some weekend coffee links to get you going.

First up, Social Media Examiner’s article about using Social Media as Social Proof. If you are a blogger or website owner this is a great read covering how visitors are influenced by the presence of social proof on your site.

One Pretty Thing is a great spot to just get lost exploring in. This site features blog rolls from around the crafting community and a fun Flickr Round-Up if you just can’t read anymore this week.

During our recent “My Favorite Product” promotion featuring HS Mini-Site sellers; I found a great blog by Daogreer Earth Works. Their art gallery and image index is a must-see.

Handmade Spark was also featured on the Etsy Storque Blog in Handmade Code: Handmade Spark. No teaser sentences allowed, you must stop by and read it for yourself.

Finally, just in case you were sleep deprived as well this week…I wanted to mention the new addition of Galleries to HS. This is a fun new feature that showcases several HS Mini-Sites at the same time. New galleries will be added often so be sure to stop by frequently, you could be up next!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

~Amber Jordan