Win It Wednesday

~*!*~Win It Wednesday~*!*~

Win a Stunning Vintage Sterling Silver 5 Carat Amethyst Pendant!!


Ends July 6, 2009



Enter Here











Win a RCA Small Wonder Digital Camcorder from Audiovox!!

Ends July 8, 2009


Enter Here










Win Over $100 Worth of Tarte Cosmetics!!


Ends July 9, 2009


Enter Here

Jewelry With Meaning-Linda B's Jewelry Shop

I don't think I have shared with you the methods of my madness. As you can tell, I like to feature Etsy artists and crafters-one for each day, Monday through Thursday. The way I do this is by going into Etsy Forums and posting a topic pretty much explaining that I would love to feature different people on my blog and for those who are interested to contact me.

I have a premade set of questions and instructions made so those who comment on the thread can be easily and efficiently convoed back with all the information.

I get about 25 to 30 people who are interested, but after I send the questionnaire, only about 10 to 15 respond(which is okay, I'm doing this for those who respond).

This has been done about 4 or 5 rounds, and I can honestly say I have met some wonderful people because of it! Also, it's amazing to see how different people are with their crafts and arts, where they are located, etc. Imagine my surprise when our next featured seller is in my state! Not only in my state but about 2 or so hours from me!!

Say hello to Linda of Linda B's Jewelry Shop on Etsy! If your not familiar with her Etsy shop name, she goes by the username Lindab142.

Linda lives about 50 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois, and as you can tell, she is a fellow bead enthusiast! What got her started beading was a woman's group she ended up going to about 4 years ago. At the time, they were making beaded bracelets and Linda found herself relaxed and having the time of her life.

Wow, deja vu... O.o

Ever since then, she found her passion in beading. Those 4 years have been spent designing her jewelry, getting involved with some local craft shows and other online venues. Speaking of which, she told me she found Etsy through a co worker! That would of mouth can be quite powerful when need be :D

Like many of us though, her jewelry takes a backseat to the 'real life'. Currently, she works for a professional membership organization in the online publications department. That doesn't stop her from her dreams of jewelry success though!! Lol

When asked what she uses with her jewelry, Linda told me that she prefers to work with gemstone beads because of the different characteristics they present. She also enhances their qualities for bringing out the best in people; And of course the colors! I personally love that in an artist-Working with the natural and raw to bring out the best in their surroundings. An example she gave me would be using Jasper to draw from it's positive energies and Solidite for the gorgeous blue coloring.

Some things to know about Linda and her shop:

*She has a blog, which you should totally go and check out! Linda B's Jewelry Design on Blogspot.

*Wow, now this is impressive-She has her own website you can visit at: LinorStore.com

*Here are some other places you can find Linda and her amazing products: 1000 Markets, Facebook, and Online Shopping Mall.

*She welcomes custom orders, so don't hesitate to convo her with your ideas!

*Most of her work is one-of-a-kind(she has done duplicate works based on certain orders).

*To view her payment, shipping, and other information, check out her Shop Policies Page.

Linda was kind enough to share some words of wisdom: "Find what you're passionate about and express it through your designs. Write a blog, twitter, join a team and promote your items in the forum threads. Feature other sellers and get to know them." I can personally attest to the last one-I have met some wonderful people through my features!

My advice would be check out what Linda of Linda B's Jewelry Shop has to offer-if not on Etsy, then maybe on some of her other locations. She has some beautiful things to offer, and the fact that she sits down and figures out how to actually give them meaning makes her jewelry all the more appealing.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

Sale - Turquoise Aventurine Teardrop Pendant

Sale - Hot Pink and Black Onyx Emo Bracelet and Earring Set

Green with Envy Sterling Silver Glass and Swarovski Earrings

Your Name and Google-A Meme

This is another meme stolen from Annette over at Fairy Blog Mother. Like she quoted in her last meme 'I'm not creative enough to come up with my own.'

I agree! Lol

Enjoy.

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Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: Kayla needs a guy she can keep(hm. I think I'm good actually.)

Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: Maybe the funniest person alive when one spots her(Why thank you!)

Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
A: Kayla says she doesn't think Steve would like seeing her there(Who the hell is Steve and why wouldn't he want to see me there!?)


Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: Kayla wants to hit me with a bat(Haha! Apparently that is the lyrics to an Alicia Key's song)


Q: Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A: Kayla does the Orthodox Church Scene(No thank you.)


Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search.
A: Kayla hates stairs(That is pretty much dead on at this point in time.)


Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A: Kayla asks when will series 4 be available to buy in stores in new zealand?(I don't live in New Zealand...)

Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: Kayla likes to eat frozen peas in her row boat(................?)


Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.
A: Kayla eats a cupcake(Ah, if only that were the truth *tear*)


Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.
A: Kayla wears a gorgeous outfit, one that probably makes young girls envious!(I'll take that as a compliment from Google!)

Q: Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search.
A: Kayla was arrested for streaking on a nudest beach(Okay wait a second. If the nudest people are already naked, it wouldn't be a crime! I'm innocent O.o)

Q: Type in "[your name] loves" in Google Search.
A: Kayla loves the Etch A Sketch(They are right! Those things are amazing)

Inspirational Tuesday

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page."

--St. Augustine


This is another quote that is near and dear to me-Why do you think I custom ordered those bookmarks from Monica Marks with the quote on it if it wasn't important to me?

I have been a reader all my life, but before I got sick, I really didn't know the full extent of a books magic. When I got sick, I would read to escape the world-It was the only way I could. To this day when I can't read due to cognitive issues, I tweak out a little bit because it's my only escape. Sure I have jewelry and my other crafts, but sometimes I'm in too much pain to do those or I don't have the energy.

What inspires you?

Da Bomb-Bath Buddies

Everyone, and I do mean everyone(I'm pretty sure everyone anyway) knows what bath fizzies are. Before you start searching through your brain trying to remember what they are, they also go by the title 'bath bombs.' I don't care who you are or what age your at, they are always a ball of fun! And yes, a little pun was intended ;-)

Anyway, I had to open up with that because our next featured crafter specializes in the bath bombs! How exciting right?! :D

Say a big hello to Crystal who is the proud owner of Bath Buddies on Etsy!

Crystal is a resident of the sunny state of California. She grew up around the Bay area in and awhile later when she was ready, decided to change it up a bit and move to San Diego, where she has been ever since! In her own words, "It's safe to say that I'm a Cali girl at heart!"

Sadly enough, Crystal hasn't hit it big time with her crafting business(yet!) so she has to work a 'real life' job. The good thing about that is she loves her job as a substitute elementary school teacher! Besides crafts, working with children is another one of her passions.

Her crafting nature, like most of us, started quite early when her mum would go out and buy random craft supplies and kits. What ended up happening was Crystal would mix and match the different supplies and kits and make something of her own accord!

As for evolving, I think her love of bath and body products prompted her to discover her love of fizzies. She started off making them for herself and thought, 'why not try to open a side business?' That's when a friend of hers introduced her to Etsy-needless to say like many before her, she fell in love with the site and decided to open her shop then and there!

Her shop contains mostly her varied bath bombs, but she also has some solid lotion bars(you glide them on your skin wherever you would put lotion, and you're done, no rubbing in needed! How cool is that!?)and lip balm mixed in there. But running with her bath fizzie/bomb making, I asked Crystal what she used when making her product and she told me there are a few things that go into the making process, but her favorite would be the different smells that you can choose from.

"There are so many that I don't think I'll ever have them all!"

Here are some things to know about Crystal and her shop:

*She has a blog! Go ahead and check it out-Bath Buddies on Blogspot.

*You can view all of her wonderful scent selections Here.

*Have a custom order? Crystal welcomes all custom orders! Just go ahead and convo her with the details.

*To view payment, shipping, and other information, hop on over to her Shop Policies Page.


Who doesn't love a good bath and body product to spoil yourself with!? I can definitely say that sometimes, I just want to pop into a nice hot, relaxing bath and pamper myself until I'm all pruny =] And If I happened to have the latest and greatest in products, so be it! Just enhances the experience.

So if you want to pamper yourselves the next time you get into a hot bath, you might want to check out Bath Buddies for those latest and greatest in bath and body products(preferably fizzies and bombs) for a wonderful bath time experience.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

Pedicure Bath Bomb Soak Set of 3

Lip Balm- Eucalyptus Scented- Extra Healing for Dry, Chapped Lips

Solid Lotion Bar- Eucalyptus Scented

The Stupidity of People: A Rant-Please Read!

I have a lymie friend who has been through hell many times and is still making continual trips now and again because of how bad her Lyme Disease is. She has SEVERE MCS(Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) to the point where she can't go anywhere without a mask, heavy duty sunglasses, and ear mufflers.

She is currently seeking treatment from a doctor a few states away from her own and has been commuting back and forth for a couple months now.

This last time she went up with her mother. On their way back, something happened that scared her and left me seeing red when I heard about what happened. I'll let you hear it from my friend herself:

"So last night around 9:15 p.m. my mom and I were coming back from a doctors appointment trip, and the car needed gas. With my MCS I can't be in the car when my mom is fueling up without getting a huge reaction which affects my airways. So my mom dropped me off at a park, which was down the street from the gas station....you can see the gas station and park from each other. She wanted me to take our pepper spray with me, since I am sick and for protection.

I had my sunglasses, earplugs and mask on. So I am waiting for my mom, and a police car drives up. 2 police men come out of the car, and ask me what I am doing. I told them that my mom was down the street getting gas and that I have MCS... I can't handle the fumes from the gas. One of the policemen says "Right" with the tone of "Yeah Right" didn't believe me. Then they pointed there flashlight at me and I flinched...light sensitivity. And then of course they have fragrance on them, so I was reacting and my lungs were burning and I was having a hard time breathing.

So I told them, that I was about the step back, because I was reacting to their laundry soap. And the police man says again "Right" in the same tone as before...so I stepped back, and they stepped forward. Then I showed them the pepper spray that I had in my hand, like you can see it if you want. And he asked why I had it, I told him 1) that my over-protective mom told me to carry it and 2) because I am sick, I have Lyme and well to protect myself if something happened. He then say "Right" again. Then he asked if I was from around the area, and I said "No, I am traveling home from a doctors appointment, and my mom and I are on our way home."

Then one of the men asked if I had ID, and I don't drive so I don't have one. He asked me for all my information and I gave it to him. I see my mom pull up, and I say there's my mom. She runs out of the car yelling "If you have Cologne on, you are causing her damage." And telling them all that I had before. That I have MCS and can't be in the car while she gets gas, so that is why I was at the park. And everything else that I told them. Then they allowed me to go and say "Have a Goodnight", and I got in the car, put my oxygen trying to help me breathe better. And took all the detox agents that I had.

Let me just say my legs were trembling, and I was scared. Getting approached by police is scary, especially when you aren't doing anything wrong."

I can understand why the police stopped to check her out-Someone sitting on a park bench at night with dark sunglasses and earplugs in will look suspicious. They were just doing their job. What I DON'T understand is how they could harass and patronize her like that!

In another email, she told me she wrote to their boss, and explained the situation, what happened, how she felt, and gave him some suggestions like educating his staff on people with chronic illnesses and some things to stay away from for their sakes. He wrote back and didn't even apologize for what happened and he went on to justify his officer's actions.

That makes me so mad I want to spit! WE are the one's who are sick! WE have gone through all this shit! WE can't be expected to think of everything to make it easier for EVERYONE else. Some people need to learn that it's not all about them and to pick up some of the slack.

I mean she could have DIED if her mum didn't come in time! They could have hauled her into the squad car and because of the closed space, their laundry detergent and cologne, her throat could have closed up and she could have died. Then who's fault would it be?

I'm just saying, THIS is exactly why people need to be educated about things.

Mailbox Monday

So today I have that doctor appointment that was canceled last week. I'm not sure what to expect, but hopefully it helps! I have both sides of the predictions-'Your going to be down so expect feeling like crap' and or 'You may feel better because of them.'

Anyone want to place bets?!

Anyway, have a happy Monday everyone =]
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I got this amazingly beautiful necklace from one lovely lady named Echo. I don't know if you remember, but I did a review for her awhile back(if your interested, check out the review HERE)on her Etsy shop Nutmegclick.

I love going through her shop to see what she has added and I had my eye on this little beauty for awhile before I actually took the plunge and purchased it(it did help a little bit that it was on sale).

After a seemingly long and excitingly agonizing wait, it arrived in a fun little package last Monday. I took it out and fell right in love with it :D

The only bad thing is it's not long enough to fit my fat little neck(I think I just contradicted myself) so I'm going to have to do a little putzin around with it. I will make it fit!





Story time!! You know how you go to the library or a garage sale and get a book that looks appealing to you, only to find something inside while flipping through the pages? Kind of like a little treasure-I always LOVE to find random pieces of paper, used bookmarks and other seemingly useless things inside the pages of a book.

Well one of those times, I found a bookmark that became very special to me. I used it so much that it started to disintegrate(no joke). I even laminated it with clear tape when It looked like it lost a few good chunks from it.

Well, I lost it one day last year and I have been looking for it ever since! I was devastated when I lost that thing and searched everywhere for it until about a month ago when I finally gave up looking for it.

That's when I remembered a feature I did on MonicaMarks-an Etsy shop that specialized in custom bookmarks(view the feature Here). Well I didn't hesitate to contact Monica and have her make me a custom bookmark that I will love just as much as the one I lost and she succeeded!!

I didn't wait to use it! I ripped that package open and it's in my Twilight book as I type ;-)








This was a case of 'I'm-a-lucky-SOB' Lol On a whim, I decided to enter for this book in a contest over at Sweeps4Bloggers about an hour before it was done and guess what!? I got a congratulatory email the next day saying I had one! O.o

I thought this would be perfect for my sister who is going away to college in the fall and I was extremely happy I could give it to her when It arrived on Friday :D

Now whether she reads it is a different matter. Lol

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Ice Cream Maaaaaan!!

An amazing thing happened to us the other week.

We got an ICE CREAM MAN!!
:-O

I'm serious, it was on Father's Day. That day, my mum was talking to my dad about the good ol' days and the subject of the ice cream man came up. Apparently my dad had saw an ice cream man in the area and forgot to tell my mum about it.

She got all "upset" that he didn't tell her, but she thought it was pretty cool.

Low and behold about 5 minutes later my dad came in from outside yelling, "The ice cream man is here, the ice cream man is here!" That's when we heard a jolly jingle and realized oh my goodness, he really was here!!

You should have seen it then-All the shouts of 'Ice cream man' and the rushing out the door to catch him before he passed. You would have totally thought we were all crazy or a bunch of little kids!

That totally made my mother's day though, let me tell you. All day she just kept smiling and giggling to herself and saying she couldn't believe it.

It was equally as funny the second time he came around which was last Thursday. My mum and I got home from an appointment somewhere and we both heard him. Both of our eyes went wide and we rushed to get inside(which was a pretty funny sight-an excited lady rushing her excited wheelchair bound kid into the house at the sound of the ice cream man).

Then it was all of us rifling around trying to scrounge up enough money since between all of us, we didn't have much of anything. There were shouts of, "I have two dollars," and then another shout from a distant room, "I found a dollar and some change!" My mum was the funniest of all tearing through her purse and giggling. She also got a hold of our change bank and was on the couch imitating the great Michelle Tanner scene from Full House, "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT." Lol

But the best part was when we all rushed outside in the middle of a lightening storm(reminder: I'm in a metal wheelchair) to get our ice cream. It hadn't yet started to rain, but the clouds where swirling, the wind was whipping and the lightening was definitely threatening to zap me(or so it seemed). Lol

The saddest part of all is he didn't even come!! I guess I don't blame him with the impending doom of a storm on his heals, but still, I was crushed =/ I guess there is still next time! This time, we will all be ready because I came up with the brilliant idea to have an ice cream man fund jar by the front door :D :D :D

Slapdash Sunday(6/28)

Slapdash Sunday is a day for your proverbial week 'leftovers.' Is there something you wanted to say, but just forgot? Is there something you want to write about, but isn't worth a whole page? Do you have a random thought, funny or otherwise that needs to be written down?

That is what Slapdash Sunday is for!
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*Is anyone else having problems with the blogger publisher? The past few days I have had to go in and manually publish my posts because the automatic publishing isn't working. Anyone know what's going on?

*I'm reading the Twilight series again ^.^
(Yes, I am pathetic)

*Does anyone else think those Cure.com commercials where they spout continual random facts is extremely creepy?

*If your a blog that I follow, I am sorry I haven't been around to comment and view your latest posts! I promise I'm making my rounds(or at least trying to) so be patient with me and know I'm trying =]

*My page rank seemed to have dropped down to N/A again when just the other day it was at 1. Can anyone tell me what happened and how I can get it back up again?

Small Talk Six-Magic Sunglasses

From MomDot:

"We would like to invite everyone to join in on a new weekly meme on MomDot called “Small Talk Six!” Since weekends are generally a little slower around the blogosphere, we thought this would be a great way to have a quick, fun, interactive meme.

All you need to do is grab one of the graphics below for your “Small Talk Six” posts and your sidebar. Then make a short (or an elaborate) post on your blog in response to the assigned topic of the week (see list here). When your post is live, come leave your direct link on Mr. Linky and then go see how the other participants responded on their blogs.

You can respond to each topic with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, or 6 photos. Get the idea?"

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This weeks Small Talk Six question:

If you had magical sunglasses, name 6 things you would like to see with them

1. I would love to see people's auras. I can kind of see them now, but I would love to see them like heat sensitive technology can see heat. That way I know what mood your in!

2. Spirits. Again, I can somewhat see a few now when they want me to see them, but it would be so awesome to be able to see them all the time! It would kind of be like people watching :D

3. Memories. I can't remember a lot because of my damn, shotty memory, but It would be great if the sunglasses could dip into your mind and pull out the memories you had forgotten.

4. Oh Oh Oh! It would be completely wicked if I could see behind me O.o That way, no one could ever do anything behind my back without me knowing!

5. People's souls. I know you can't mess with that type of thing and I wouldn't, but I would like to view different people's essences.

6. I would love to see the whole world in black and white. Don't get me wrong, color is amazing and beautiful, but there is a certain elegance with black and white.

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Happy Saturday! I'm off to see all of your Small Talk Six answers.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Help Alert! Your Coupons Are Needed.

I don't know if most of you know because I haven't brought up the subject much, but I am a hardcore animal lover. Like seriously, if I could open up a ranch in the country or at the base of a mountain with land to spare, I would have a sanctuary for animals because I love them that much.

It makes me so upset to see animals wandering around alone outside and I wish more then anything I could stop and pick them up. Of course the person I'm driving with always end up driving past =/ That's probably going to change when I start driving.

So when something like this issues comes to my attention, I need to do everything in my power to help.

Here is the problem:

An animal shelter 60 miles south of Dallas is running out of food for it's animal population. Due to that fact, The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake in Tool, TX, www.hsccl.org is having to euthanize dogs for the first time ever. They don't have any choice-It's either euthanize them now or have them starve to death eventually.

What can you do about this? Brandie from Free Sample Freak and friends at Your Coupon Buddy have teamed up to collect animal food coupons to send to the shelter so they can at least have a little help with purchasing more food.

If you have any coupons to contribute to the cause, please send them to the address below:

Your Coupon Buddy
P.O. Box 181
Forney, Texas 75126

And for more information on this story, you can check out Your Coupon Buddy: Calling All
Couponers.

Please help this sad new story have a happy ending! Sending in coupons saves innocent animal lives =]

Saturday Picks-A Sad Week

Due to the surprising and saddening deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson, I thought I would dedicate this weeks Saturday's Picks to them and their lives.

(Unfortunately, when I went to search on Etsy, I couldn't find anything for Ed)

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Set of 15 Micheal Jackson King of Pop Pinback Buttons

$12.99

Farrah Fawcett Candid on Location Photograph 1975

$14.99


Set 4pcs Dancing Michael Jackson Wall Art Decal Vinyl Sticker Home Decor Wallpaper

$10.99


RIP Farrah Fawcett Tshirt

$32.00


Scrabble Tile Pendant-King of Pop-Michael Jackson

$5.00

FBF-Outnumbered 3 to 1

I started thinking about a week ago that I feature Etsy shops, so why can't I feature bloggers? They contribute a great deal to the shopping world by featuring, reviewing, and giving away goods that draws attention to particular products and companies, thus, us as shoppers go out and purchase because we see a great review.

They do just as much and I would love to help them just like I do different shops and companies.

So I have dedicated Friday as Feature Blogger Friday!

And our first lucky blogger today is a good friend of mine that has been with me since I started blogging back in March.

Some of you probably know her, but for those who don't, meet Melissa of Outnumbered 3 to 1 and Shimmer Me Blue.


1. What's your name and your blog? Is there any other information would you like to share?

I'm Melissa and I blog at Outnumbered 3 to 1. I'm a mother of 2 amazing boys, girlfriend to the greatest guy and I love to blog and make jewelry in my spare time.

2. Why did you choose that name for your blog?

I chose Outnumbered 3 to 1 because I am outnumbered in a house full of 3 boys, and I wanted something original that I haven't seen before

3. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging at ShimmerMeBlue in December of last year to help promote my handmade jewelry and my Etsy shop. I soon joined quite a few different forums and learned about reviews and giveaways. This really interested me, so I tried it out and I was hooked. I love to try new stuff and i love to write, so this was perfect for me.

4. What kind of stuff do you cover with your blog? Is there a specific genre you write about or is the sky the limit?

I write about parenting, everyday life, random ramblings, join in on fun weekly memes and great products reviews and giveaways.

5. Name one thing that you love about your blogging job.

I just love connecting with people and sharing my thoughts and feelings with others. I have met some wonderful people since I started blogging, people that I would definitely call my friends.

6. Name one thing your not so fond of about your blogging job.

I don't know a whole lot about all of the technical stuff, and sometimes that really frustrates me. It can get really annoying if I'm trying to figure something out and it's just not working the way I want it to.

7. What's one random fun fact about you?

I'm like a big kid. I love to have fun, play with the kids, whatever.

8. Inspiration comes in many forms for different people. What inspires you?

My kids and boyfriend for starters; and just seeing something, like an object or whatever and thinking of what I can do with it.

9. Any advice for other bloggers?

Don't get sucked in and think that you have to be better than the others because it will just tear at you, and blogging is supposed to be a fun outlet. Also visit other blogs. No one will want to keep coming to yours if you don't take the time to see what they have to say.

10. Where else can we find you(Etsy shop, other blog, twitter, facebook, etc)?

You can find me:

• ShimmerMeBlue on Blogspot
  

• ShimmerMeBlue on Etsy

• ShimmerMeBlue on Twitter

• OutnumberedMama on Twitter

So go ahead and check out Melissa's blog(s)! I can tell you from personal experience she is an amazing person and a great blogger =]

Until next time.
Love and Energies.
Kayla

Death Seems to Happen in Threes

I have heard from multiple people that 'people always tend to die in threes' and after yesterday, I definitely believe it. I mean who could know that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson would die on the same day? More bizarre yet, Farrah, Michael, and Ed McMahon within a whopping two days?

It was a very sad day yesterday. I woke up and saw the headlines on AOL and Yahoo that Farrah had lost her battle with cancer and had passed away. I feel bad now for not having kept up with the story when it was happening. Watching the specials, it appeared that she died surrounded by the ones she loved and peacefully, without pain. That's all anyone can ask for having gone through the struggle she did.

Michael was more of a surprise. Actually, a pure shock to be honest. I keep thinking about it and I can't wrap my mind around it. We watched the breaking news bulletin that couldn't get anything right-First he was fine and in the hospital, then he was dead, and after that he was in a coma, and then finally after so many contradicting stories, they acknowledged that he had in fact died of heart failure. The thing about this story is your not sure what's true and what's not-We don't know exactly what he died from because of so many stories so I guess time will tell.

And Ed. That wasn't too much of a shock since he was 86, but it was still a sad happening. Even though I didn't know much about Ed McMahon, I knew that he was somewhat of a legend and even though he has passed away, the good he brought to people's lives will live on.

So people die in threes and in the past two days, we have lost three amazing icons and even more three amazing people. Their memories will continue on because of the wonderful impact they had on society.

Rest In Peace You All.

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Add a Little Sass*Giveaway*

If you remember, earlier this week I did a feature for Sassy Shades, a lamp shade shop on Etsy. If you want to view the feature, Click Here.

A quick shop review:

Kristi of Sassy Shades has a wonderful mixture of lamp shades for every possible age and taste you could have. Each shade is handcrafted specially and uses different types of textiles, trims and even a few other random surprises. You don't have to worry about having a generic shade because at Sassy Shades, each shade is one or two of a kind.

As Kristi said in her shop announcement, "Light up your life in a "Sassy" kind of way!"

Yes, I know you all know what's coming up!

**Giveaway Friday**

Kristi has very generously offered the elegant lamp shade below:

Here is some information from Kristi on the shade:

"This shade is an original Sassy Shade made in the summer of '08. With a Hex Bell Frame(6 panel), it is hand made from a beautiful linen type fabric. The background is an ivory/cream color with a floral design in green, rosy pink, beige, and a hint of blue. Needs a lamp base that has a harp and finial."

Valued at $ 75.00

Measurements:
Top 5"
Bottom 9"
Height 7"

So what do you have to do for this amazing shade?
Here are your steps:

Rules:

1. You MUST include a way to reach you whether it be an email or blogger URL.

2. Each comment, mandatory and or extra, has to be separate.

Mandatory Entry:

You must go on over and check out Kristi's Shop, Sassy Shades. Come back and leave us a comment with your favorite item.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow my Blog(1 extra)

2. Subscribe(1 extra)
*Located on the right-You can't miss it.

3. Follow Me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway leaving a link when your done.(2 extra)

4. Blog this giveaway leaving a link to the post in a comment(3 extra)

5. Purchase something from TheEclecticElement -Or- SassyBelleWares on Etsy(5 extra)

*When you purchase, make sure you refer to this contest in the 'message to seller' section

That's 1 mandatory entry + 12 extra entries which = 13 entries total!

Good Luck!

This contest will run until Wednesday July 8, 2009 11:59 pm central standard time. I will contact the winner within 24 hours of drawing their name. You have 72 hours to claim your prize and send me your shipping information. If I haven't heard from you within that time frame, I will choose another winner.

Glitters a Must-Jewelry Junk

I have seen a multitude of different types of jewelry in my numerous explorations of Etsy and it's shops, as well as, my brief stay at the Artfire website and I can honestly say that I have never seen anything quite so unique as the jewelry in today's featured artist's shop.

All I can say is lots and lots of glitter and sparklies! Lol

Say hello to Courtney who is the owner of Jewelry Junk on Etsy. And this is what Courtney says about her shop name FYI: "My jewelry is not "junk" (I just liked the name)."

A resident of the large and hot state of Texas, Courtney graduated from college in 2008 with a bachelors degree in Fine Arts which is what lead her to her crafting. Since then, she has fallen in love with art and crafts of all kinds!

Real life has to come in and ruin our crafting dreams with necessities like money so her 'real life' job is working for an electricity company. In our conversation, she had to add the fact that art is her true calling-I completely agree with that, too. I'm sure a lot of you do too!

Believe it or not, jewelry wasn't her initial experience with Etsy. Apparently, she started out doing some of her own original artwork prints which took off very well, so she decided to venture into the jewelry genre. After just a little bit, she was hooked =]

With her jewelry, as you can see, it's quite different then anything I have featured. I was very interested in finding out how she made these necklaces and earrings and in our convo, Courtney told me she uses resin to pretty much shape the whole piece. Honestly, I have no knowledge about resin, but her jewelry makes me want to learn! Also, she informed me glitter and anything shiny or sparkly is a must, along with but not limited to old pictures, gemstones, and the occasional swarovsky crystal.

Besides her jewelry design and original print artwork, Courtney likes to paint, draw, and sew.

Some things to know about Courtney and her shop:

*She has a blog! Give it a look at Jewelry Junk at Blogspot

*Check out all her lovely creations via her Flickr account.

*Each necklace is unique and one of a kind, as well as, hand crafted with care and made to last.

*She does custom orders so don't hesitate to convo her with the details!

*For payment, shipping, and other information, take a look at her Shop Policies Page.

Here is a little bit of wisdom Courtney was kind enough to share with all of us: "Be original. Be professional. Don't give up."

Definitely take a look through Courtney's shop Jewelry Junk, if not for a purchase, just for a very interesting experience. Being an artist and crafter is all about bettering yourself and respecting each others genre, and I can say I admire Courtney for her outrageously unique jewelry. Not only did I see something different, but I learned about resin jewelry and I just might give it a try one day! Thank you Courtney!! :D

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

Cleopatra Vintage Pin-up Girl Gold and Pink Resin Pendant Necklace

Mint Green Beaded Bracelet Summer Spring Minty

Divine Pink Flamingos John Waters Resin Gold Glitter Pendant Kitsch Gun Cult Classic Movie

Health Update Thursday

This week has been a very rough trial on every aspect of my life: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. The only thing that keeps me going at this point in time is my blog and my business.

• I can't go to school and even when I try to, I just have to stop because it's to stressful on me.
  
• Most of my friends have lives of their own and even when they have spare time they don't visit anymore.
  
• There really is no where to go when I'm feeling well enough because I've been everywhere you can go in Rockford and the surrounding areas.

Maybe this is all because of my mental state. I'm emotional and there is nothing I can do to make it go away. It's that damn roller coaster that I can't stand to be on. I feel every emotion you can possibly think of and then some in the span of 20 minutes and it's like it's on repeat. I don't mind so much the emotions, but what I mind is how rapidly I change moods. No one knows how I'm going to be feeling the next time they talk to me and I think it may scare some of them away.

I also feel bad that I haven't talked to much of anyone in the past few weeks. It's just too hard to talk to my friends or be around them anymore because I'm so emotionally unstable and I don't want to scare them, hurt them(which is a good possibility), say something that I'll regret later on, etc etc.

Sorry to be dumping this on everyone but I figure I have a right to a whoa is me post now and again.

Anyway, here is an update on what's going on medically:

1. I wasn't able to start that new doctor and the hydrogen peroxide IVs last Monday because the doctor missed his flight. The sucky thing about that is he is only open two days a week and now we have to wait until the 29th of June for another appointment.
2. The guy in Kansas that we have been reading up on and debating on going to is probably a no go. Two weeks down there(which is the minimal amount we would be spending) will cost us 6 to 10 grand that we don't have.
3. I'm on a homeopathic detox treatment for heavy metals and parasites from the naturopath that I'm seeing that totally kicked my butt last Saturday. The drops I took in water had me on the toilet all day(sorry for the TMI moment) with a bucket in my hand throwing up what little I had in my body. And when I wasn't on the toilet I was writhing on the ground in pain because it felt like my stomach and everything else in the vicinity was being ripped apart and set on fire.
4. Also Saturday, it was quite hot here-It hit up in the middle to upper 80's and I made the mistake of going to an outdoor holistic health fair at our local natural food store without any sort of protection. So on top of the treatment from hell, I got sun poisoning.
5. I think 3 and 4 combined was why I became so violently ill. Now I'm a tad bit scared to go out into the sun again O.o
6. I'm still in search of a good counselor and or psychologist. If your in the Rockford area and know of a decent someone, please let me know!
   

I think that is about it. I told you there really wasn't a lot that went on this week. Well, there was mentally for me, but there is no way to describe that torture to all of you so I'm just leaving it at what I stated above. Thanks for listening to my rant!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Add a Little Something to your Wardrobe -Embellishment Queen

Em*bel*lish*ment {em-bel-ish-muh-nt}: Noun; An ornament or decoration.

You know those stores that are mainly devoted to accessories like purses and jewelry used to adorn a particularly amazing little black dress? Well, Embellishment Queen on Etsy is a perfect example of one of those stores-It's just online!

If your not familiar with the name, you might be more familiar with the username: Sonseeahray, which incidentally is the name of today's featured artist.

If you want to know more about this artist or her embellishments, you can check out her blog, Embellishment Queen on Blogspot.

Sonseeahray or 'Sonny' as she goes by, lives in St. Lewis, Missouri and is a mother of two lovely young boys. She started her jewelry making when she was in college going for her B.A. in Theatre for acting. In some of her classes throughout those years in school, she learned costume design and construction and the crafter in her came out! Since then, it has just expanded into her business.

As you can tell by her amazingly constructed and stunningly beautiful jewelry, she is a wire wrap artist. Sonny uses her own wire wrap techniques and forges everything for herself. Here is something totally awesome-She has collaborated with other well known jewelry artists on different projects! I can't even imagine how cool that would be :D

We can't forget her lovely embroidered bags and other accessories! Made on her vintage 1960's Necchi Super Nova Julia sewing machine, Sonny visualizes what she wants to make and she sews it into being. Here is a little fun fact about her embroidered accessories: because jewelry is Sonny's first passion, each of her different adornments has some sort of gemstone or handset Incorporated somewhere in the piece.

A lot of things inspire Sonny. Some of which are ancient art and architecture, historic pieces of jewelry and color. She also is very fond of art nouveau and art deco techniques. I believe that's why I'm so drawn to her jewelry; I'm a big admirer of ancient history and I can definitely see where you can become inspired by it!

Some things to know about Sonny and her shop:

* Besides Etsy and her Blog, you can find her on the Etsy Wire Artistan Guild Shop.

*If your in the area, go ahead and check out the "Embellishment Queen" by Sonseeahray line which will be featured in the gift shop of the Repertory Theatre of St. Lewis.

*For details on payment, shipping and return information, check out Sonny's Shop Policies.

She had some great advice for us.

"Go after your dream, whatever it is. Do not let fear stand in your way."

Looking at all this beautiful jewelry reminds me of why I love it so much! Every individual piece from every talented artist is like a new toy you can show off-It just so happens to be wearable :D If you have a chance, visit Sonny's shop, Embellishment Queen on Etsy or visit her blog Embellishment Queen on Blogspot. Become apart of her rise to fame because I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more of her in the future!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items on Blog:

Feeling Nouveau...Art Nouveau Butterfly Necklace

Mums Super Nova Business Card Wallet

Atlantis Water Lily Cocktail Wire Wrapped Ring

The Proposal*Movie Review*

**WARNING**
Minor Spoiler Alert

My sister and I have been both wanting to see The Proposal since the trailers came out and finally last Friday, we were able to(we dragged her boyfriend along too). Any movie with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds has to be good, right?!

It was weird seeing Sandra Bullock play a complete bitch in this movie(I just kept seeing her in Miss Congeniality and Practical Magic), but I think it added some more to the respect I have for her as an actress. And Ryan-there is only one thing to say--Hott-ay(It needed the extra syllable)! So of course I had no problem at all watching him on the big screen-Lol-

Here is my personal synopsis on the movie:

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is the executive editor-in-chief of a book publishing company, Colden Books. You can tell she is a bitch in the beginning of the movie because she strikes fear into the heart of every employee in the office-They see her coming and they spread the word 'the witch is coming' via IM.

Enter her poorly treated assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), who has been working under the devils wing for two whole years doing her bidding without so much as a contradictory word.

This all changes drastically when Margaret is pulled into the higher ups office and told that her visa application to be in the United states has been denied and she has to be deported to her native country of Canada. As she tries to find a way to stay, in walks Andrew(Ryan) and in a panicked moment, she blurts out that they are in love and to be married.

Of course, that changes everything! They must go to the immigration office and file paperwork so she can stay, but before they do that, Andrew demands that he be raised to editor. Stuck between a rock and deportation, Margaret accepts his demands and off to the office to fill out paperwork. In walks the 'hard ass' (and I say that in the most loose term) government official that knows these two are faking engagement just so she can stay in the United States and he will do whatever it takes to bring out the truth!

I don't want to give too much away, but from that point on in the movie it just got sweeter and funnier. It's one of those feel good movies that makes you laugh and feel along with the characters. Of course it's going to be a chick flick, but seriously, what's wrong with a good chick flick?

Honestly, this wasn't the best movie I have ever seen, but it's a very good movie that is most definitely worth the watch! Of course Betty White doesn't hurt the film at all-She is truly a wonderful actress and I respect her immensely :D

Here is some technical information:

• It's rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language.
  
• Runtime: 107 minutes
  
• Country: USA
  
• Language: English
• Color: Color
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Hopefully you all go out and give this movie a watch. Let me know how you all like it too :D As for my first movie review, what did you think? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Win it Wednesday

*~!~*Win it Wednesday*~!~*

Win Perfect Reflection from AminoGenesis!

Ends July 12, 2009

"AminoGenesis’ Perfect Reflection anti-aging serum combines four powerful anti-oxidants (vitamin A, C, D and CoQ10) with 'AminoGenesis’ base formula of 17 amino acids. This silky smooth water-based formula penetrates the skin rapidly delivering moisture and skin-rejuvenating nutrients for the most beautiful, youthful and healthy skin possible!"

Enter Here







Win a Fabulous Feet Foot Spa Set in Vanilla Mint From Soap Sensations!

Ends June 26, 2009

From Soap Sensations Etsy Description:

"Our soaks, scrubs, and butters are made with quality, fresh ingredients. They should be stored out of humid areas such as the bathroom and it is recommended you use a clean, dry scoop or spoon in your soak and scrub to keep out contaminants."

Enter Here





Win a Traditional Medicine's Gift Basket from Traditional Medicinals!

Ends July 1, 2009

Basket includes 8 cartons of tea (full sized) and a Organic cotton/bamboo T-shirt. I tell you, their tea has helped me many a sleepless nights!

Enter Here

Button, Button, Who Has the Button-Yana Designs

I don't know what it is about buttons, but they distract even the most focused of us; Even if we aren't button lovers! Lol

When I was in high school, my tutor, bless her heart, collected buttons. Now, I'm not talking about the little time-I'm saying she COLLECTED buttons. She goes to shows to find herself buttons for her collection, she puts together similar genera of buttons to show for prizes, and her whole upstairs loft is full of jars, boxes, and bags of buttons. You name it, she has it!

So spending a lot of time with her fueled my fancy for buttons and when I came across today's featured artist, I was so excited to see all the colorful creations she had come up with made of buttons >.< href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5457180">Yana Designs on Etsy!

You can also find Yana at her vintage Etsy shop, Velour Velvet.

Living in Baltimore, Maryland, Yana got started with her crafting at a young age when instead of begging for toys that little kids usually want, she would ask her mum to buy her fancy markers, paint, and other crafting materials.

Like all of us, she has to do something to support her crafting hobby! "I am a number cruncher. I'll leave it at that! lol" Hey, whatever keeps our addictions going Yana :D

If you search through both of Yana's stores, you can see her straightforward crafts and antiques-button miscellaneous and vintage salt shakers. However, you can't tell from both of her shops that she also likes to construct handmade cards, work with graphic designs, do photography and dream up some illustrations! I for one am curious to see some of her photography and illustrations ^.^

With all that she does, her favorite material is none other then buttons! Lol Could have guessed that one right? She also loves her trusted computer for her graphic designs.

Some things you should know about Yana and her shops:

*Just mentioning her other Etsy shop again! To check out some vintage salt shakers, go ahead to Yana's shop, Velour Velvet.

*Along with her etsy shops, you can find her at Velour Velvet on Zazzle.com and Yana Designs on Silkfair.com

*For information on payment, shipping, returns, and other misc., go to Yana's Shop Policies Page.

In business since 2007, Yana's Designs has seen a good amount of success! With over 100 items in stock and over 200 shop sales, you know Yana is serious about her business. Not to mention her outstanding 100% positive feedback score! Her items are just too colorful and cute, but I'm bias because like I said above, buttons are one of my weaknesses :D

Go ahead and give both of her shops a look. You may find some great gifts for yourself or a loved one(who loves buttons and or salt shakers)!

Love and Energies.
Kayla

Items in Blog:

Botanical Fantasy Bouquet

Purple Paradise - Necklace

Bunch of Buttons

Photo Contest-Please Help!

Run Kayla, Run

I entered The Dad & Me Photo Contest at Contest Queen.com with the above photo of me when I was a baby and my daddy ^.^

There is a story behind it too! When I was little, my dad, for lack of a better phrase 'taught me a trick' where he would hold me up and away from him and say, ''Run Kayla, Run," and I would start running in place. Lol

I guess everyone got a big kick out of it!

Anyway, I would appreciate it if you could vote for my photo in the contest. Voting is from June 23rd through June 28th and the top ten photos who receive the most votes will be judged.

Vote Here

Thank you all!! There are some really cute Daddy and Me photos in the contest so I'm going to need all the luck I can get :D

Love and Energies.
Kayla